Stephen King’s ‘The Long Walk’ Secures Director

Director André Øvredal will be helming the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Long Walk. The production team includes William Sherak, Bradley Fischer, and James Vanderbilt. King began to write the novel during his time as a student at the University of Maryland. He finally published his work in 1979 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

Øvredal mainly focuses on thriller and horror genres. The Norwegian director is most known for his work on the 2016 film The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Trollhunter, and the upcoming film in collaboration with director Guillermo del Toro on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

The novel focuses on a competition “The Long Walk,” where teenage boys compete to win in order to survive. They have to walk at a speed above four miles per hour. If they fail to do so for 30 seconds, they receive a warning. After three warnings, the competitor is shot by soldiers riding along the road where the competitors are walking. The winner is granted anything they desire for as long as they live.

Other expected film adaptations of King’s works include the short story Restop, It: Chapter Two, and Salem’s Lot. King’s newest release, Pet Sematary, grossed $109.8 million worldwide.

This news was reported by Variety.