The first trailer for The Long Walk reveals the first look at a new Stephen King adaptation. The movie is based on King’s first book ever, which was eventually published in 1979 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Set in a dystopian world, it follows a group of teenage boys who are competing in an annual contest called “The Long Walk,” where they must maintain a certain walking speed or be sH๏τ and killed. The Long Walk adaptation is directed by Francis Lawrence and features David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill, and Ben Wang.

Now, Lionsgate has revealed the trailer for The Long Walk. The trailer introduces some of the main teenage boys, including Raymond Garraty (Hoffman), Peter McVries (Jonsson), and Hank Olson (Wang). As the boys walk next to a parade of tanks, led by the Major (Hamill), they seem in pretty good spirits at first. The mood changes when one boy cannot keep up, falls to the ground, and is killed. The Major eerily explains the premise, including the fact that there will be “one winner, and no finish line.”

What This Means For The Long Walk

The Trailer Hones In On A Few Leads

The trailer for The Long Walk comes just after first-look images were revealed for the movie yesterday. The images focus on the ensemble as a whole, while the trailer concentrates on three leads: Garraty, Olson, and McVries. These characters are also portrayed in the book. This trio will have to make it pretty far in the compeтιтion, as they seem to feature heavily in the film. The trailer has already revealed one of the deaths, a boy played by Jojo Rabbit actor Roman Griffin Davis.

Lawrence previously helmed four films in The Hunger Games series, taking on all but the first movie. In this trailer, there is a clear overlap between this King story and the Hunger Games plotlines. Like the Capitol-sponsored games, the walking compeтιтion’s only endpoint is when a single boy is left standing. There is prize money ᴀssociated with this win, which some of the boys in the trailer are clearly very enticed by. To get there, though, they will have to undergo intense conditions and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly consequences.

Our Take On The Long Walk Trailer

Hamill Looks Scary In The Long Walk

In addition to showcasing the teenage leads, The Long Walk trailer shows an even clearer portrait of Hamill’s antagonist. The actor is known for voicing villains like the Joker and Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Fire Lord Ozai, which is a contrast to his heroic role in the Star Wars franchise. The Long Walk is another chance for Hamill to show off these skills, and if this trailer is any indication, he can do so incredibly effectively.

On the other hand, the first trailer for The Long Walk already looks brutal and terrifying, perhaps far more than what Lawrence has done with his Hunger Games franchise. It’s shocking that the trailer vividly showed the first death, while other parts indicate the bloody challenges the remaining players will face. If this is what we are already expecting for the movie, it could be the darkest King adaptation yet.

Source: Lionsgate