Watch your step!
The Long Walk–one of the truly terrifying novels Stephen King wrote under his Richard Bachman pen name–has interested filmmakers for more than three decades, with nothing to show for it. And now, the most recent film adaptation attempt has suffered a huge setback.
Andre Ovredal (the man behind the upcoming The Last Voyage of the Demeter) was brought on board to direct a film version of the novel back in 2019, but this week he announced he’s off the project.
Ovredal–during an interview with CinemaBlend–said, “I love that book, and I love that project, but I’m not part of it anymore–which I’m very sad about. But, I think in a way I was basically lucky to get on (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) instead.”
This is just the most recent in a short list of genre directors who have not been able to put The Long Walk on the big screen. Horror legend George A. Romero was the first to try it back in 1988, to no avail, and then Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) wanted to tackle the adaptation in 2007, but his rights to the story expired before he could.
The Long Walk–published in 1979–is set in a dystopian America that’s ruled by a militaristic dictator who organizes a grueling annual walking contest. The contestants must maintain a four-mile-per-hour walking pace–or die.
Keep reading Horror News Network for any further updates on the fate on this adaptation of King’s The Long Walk.
