Convention - SDCC 2025 : The Long Walk: Lionsgate to Take the Dystopian March to Hall H

By Mulder, 10 july 2025

When Francis Lawrence, the visionary behind I Am Legend and the Hunger Games sequels, brings a project to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, it’s more than a panel—it’s an event. On July 25, 2025, from 3 to 4 PM, Lionsgate will present The Long Walk, the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King’s haunting novel written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, in a panel moderated by Eric Vespe and Anthony Breznican, the co-hosts of the much-adored podcast The Kingcast. This is more than a celebration of another King adaptation—it’s a convergence of legacy, myth, and brutal dystopian vision, wrapped in cinematic ambition and fueled by years of near-miss development hell. That panel will feature an electrifying ensemble including David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, Charlie Plummer, and the iconic Mark Hamill, as well as producer Roy Lee and screenwriter JT Mollner, all coming together to unveil one of the most compelling and dangerous journeys ever put on screen: a walk where stopping means dying.

The tale of The Long Walk's cinematic journey could fill an entire panel by itself. Stephen King began writing the novel back in 1966 while still a freshman at the University of Maine, well before Carrie brought him fame. The novel, set in a terrifyingly plausible totalitarian America, centers around a walking contest that pushes its teenage contestants to physical and psychological limits: walk at four miles per hour or be executed. There can only be one winner. The concept is harrowing, visceral, and disarmingly prophetic. Over the decades, several acclaimed directors like George A. Romero, Frank Darabont, and André Øvredal flirted with adapting it, but the rights passed hands like a cursed talisman—until Lionsgate secured them and entrusted Francis Lawrence to helm the vision with JT Mollner adapting the screenplay. For King fans, genre lovers, and fans of existential horror alike, the project’s eventual realization isn’t just exciting—it’s a long-overdue reckoning.

In terms of casting, the film boasts a powerhouse line-up that marries rising stars with seasoned veterans. Cooper Hoffman leads as Raymond Garraty, walker #47, whose quiet charisma and deep empathy make him the reluctant heart of the brutal contest. David Jonsson plays Peter McVries (#23), the spiritual soul of the film and a figure whose brotherly bond with Ray humanizes the inhumanity around them. Garrett Wareing’s Stebbins (#38) is the formidable wildcard: tall, strong, unnervingly calm, and apparently invincible, with shades of mythos and menace under his jelly sandwich-loving demeanor. Tut Nyuot's Arthur Baker (#6) is the dreamer—devout and desperate—motivated by poverty and a fantastical goal to reach the moon. The psychological conflict escalates through Charlie Plummer's Gary Barkovitch (#5), the provocateur with a camera and a chip on his shoulder, and Ben Wang's Hank Olson (#46), the cynical historian of the walk who forms a brotherhood with the others as they become "The Four Musketeers."

The youngest among them, Roman Griffin Davis' Curly (#7), lied about his age just to participate and quickly finds himself physically overwhelmed—a painful embodiment of lost innocence. Meanwhile, Jordan Gonzalez’s Richard Harkness (#49), walks with pen and notepad in hand, dreaming of immortalizing their shared trauma, but reminded constantly that words mean nothing if you don’t survive. And then there’s Joshua Odjick’s Collie Parker (#48), the quietly tormented Indigenous contestant who masks fear with confrontation and slowly becomes one of the story’s most layered figures. Overseeing all of them like a dark god is Mark Hamill as “The Major,” a figure shrouded in government control, fascist symbolism, and cryptic menace. Drenched in slogans and sunglasses, his role is as much psychological warfare as it is orchestration of physical punishment—proof that The Long Walk is not just about endurance but about submission to authoritarian spectacle.

The production history of The Long Walk is itself a fascinating saga. Filming began on July 24, 2024, in Winnipeg, and the shoot wrapped swiftly—poetic, perhaps, for a movie about unrelenting forward motion. The production reunited Francis Lawrence with cinematographer Jo Willems, whose cold, panoramic style perfectly suits the tone of a nation surveilling its youth as they literally march to their deaths. The musical score, composed by Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers, adds a haunting and unexpected intimacy, likely eschewing orchestral bombast for something more broken, stripped, and emotionally piercing. It’s also notable that Roy Lee, the genre producer behind It and Barbarian, helped steer this adaptation—his presence ensures the film respects the psychological horror of King’s vision rather than devolving into spectacle.

At the heart of The Long Walk is the grotesque metaphor for society’s hunger for public suffering disguised as entertainment. It’s Battle Royale by way of Shirley Jackson, a future not far off from our reality shows and militarized media. Each character represents a different socio-economic and emotional response to survival, glory, and trauma. The camaraderie between Ray and Peter isn’t just poignant—it’s a life raft in a sea of despair. And for all the cold dystopia, The Long Walk still carries the warmth of human connection—until the game demands it be severed. That emotional complexity is what Francis Lawrence and JT Mollner seem determined to bring to the forefront, and it's what makes this adaptation feel not just timely, but necessary.

With character posters now making waves online and the Comic-Con panel poised to ignite interest, Lionsgate is betting big that The Long Walk will resonate not just with King fans but with a new generation navigating their own oppressive systems and moral mazes. The film, set for release on September 12, 2025, in the U.S. (and October 1 in France), already feels like it’s shaping up to be a spiritual sibling to The Hunger Games—but darker, more personal, and uncomfortably real. If Hall H has taught us anything over the years, it’s that the biggest reveals often come not with explosions, but with stories that dig deep into the fears we refuse to face. This year, Francis Lawrence and Lionsgate aren’t walking—they're storming forward, step by agonizing step, into legend.

Synopsis :
Young Garraty is going to compete in “The Long Walk,” a competition with 100 participants. The event will be broadcast on television and watched by thousands of people. But this isn't just any walk—it's a game with no rules...

The Long Walk
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Written by JT Mollner
Based on The Long Walk by Stephen King (under the Richard Bachman name)
Produced by Francis Lawrence, Roy Lee, Cameron MacConomy, Steven Schneider
Starring Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill
Cinematography : Jo Willems
Music by Jeremiah Fraites
Production company : Vertigo Entertainment
Distributed by Lionsgate (United States), Metropolitan FilmExport (France)
Release date : September 12, 2025 (United States), October 1, 2025 (France)