Right on the heels of directing this year’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, André Øvredal (Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe) is set to direct an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Long Walk for New Line, Deadline reports tonight.
King originally published the novel under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1979.
“First published in 1979, The Long Walk is set in future dystopian America ruled by an authoritarian.”
“The country holds an annual walking contest in which 100 teens must journey, non-stop and under strict rules, until only one of them is still standing alive and receiving a prize. The story told of a 16-year old walker named Raymond Garraty and the teens, some good, some bad, some mysterious, in his orbit.”
Over on his Facebook page, Øvredal expressed his excitement for adapting The Long Walk:
"Two years ago, two people tweeted about The Autopsy of Jane Doe. The awe-inspiring Guillermo Del Toro, whom I have insanely enough gotten to spend the last year working with. And a week before him, Stephen King. I have been an obsessive fan of King since my teen years and now I am going to be directing a film based on the first book he ever wrote - The Long Walk. Humbled, in awe and in absolute fear of failure...
But I have amazing collaborators in producers Brad Fischer, (writer-producer) James Vanderbilt and William Sherak, as well as the fantastic people at New Line Cinema, so it cannot end up as a total wreck even in my hands..."
James Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay and is also producing with Bradley Fischer and William Sherak.
