Stephen King hypesThe Long Walkas a strong choice for any left disappointed bySquid Gameseason 3. Adapting the events of his 1979 novel of the same name, the upcoming Lionsgate film hails from director Francis Lawrence and stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Mark Hamill, among others.
As seen in the recentThe Long Walktrailer, the film follows a group of teens as they compete in an annual contest in which they will be shot if they don’t maintain a certain walking speed, with the promise of some gnarly thrills and kills to come.
In response to a fan on Threads,KingrecommendsThe Long Walkfor those who felt thatSquid Game, which just recently released its third and final season, would have been more successful had it not spent so much time on story threads not involving the titular games. Check out King’s post below:
“Squid Game would be one of the greatest TV shows ever if it just cut 100% of the stuff that wasn’t Squid Game,” Talking Scared Podcast writes. King then responds:“you’ll like THE LONG WALK then.”
What This Means For The Long Walk
The New King Movie Is Set Up For Success
Squid Gameremains one of the biggest hits in Netflix history, with its debut season garnering acclaim and high viewership with its unique premise of adults competing in deadly children’s games. Later seasons, however, have spent more time outside of these games, and theSquid Gameseason 3 receptionhas been notably more mixed than previous seasons.
As of writing,Squid Gameseason 3 has the lowestRotten Tomatoesscores for the show, with an 80% critics' score and a 50% Popcornmeter score.
King’s most recent post suggests thatThe Long Walkas a title is very indicative of what audiences will get in the film. Taken with the debut trailer, the new King adaptation sounds like it will feature either few or no extraneous scenes that don’t involve the eponymous walk to the death.
A lean, mean take onThe Long Walk, then, could be very different from the most recent King adaptation,The Life of Chuck.The upcoming movie also looks like more of a thriller than a horror, suggesting it could be quite different from many other King adaptations, and it could be more in line with 2025’s other upcoming King adaptation,Edgar Wright’sThe Running Man.
Our Take On King’s The Long Walk Tease
2025 Could Be A Big Year For The Legendary Author
Adaptations of King’s works continue to be filled with ups and downs, withSalem’s Lot(2024) disappointing last year, whileThe Monkey(2025) andThe Life of Chuckwere generally well-received this year. If bothThe Long WalkandThe Running Mancan deliver,2025 could be one of the best years ever for King adaptations.
Featuring a strong cast and Lawrence in the director’s chair,The Long Walkis shaping up to be a unique take on the dystopian thriller genre. If the entire film does take place on the road, though, it could be a challenge to fully flesh out some of the main characters. In any case, it’s one to look forward to.
