The new trailer for The Long Walk reveals a better look at the Stephen King adaptation at San Diego Comic-Con. The dystopian film is based on the novel of the same name by King (originally published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). The film focuses on a group of teenage boys competing in an annual last-one-standing contest where they must keep walking or die.

Adaptations of The Long Walk were attempted and sH๏τ down for years, but the first completed version will finally be released in theaters this year and is helmed by Francis Lawrence. The cast is set to include Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Judy Greer, Garrett Wareing, and Roman Griffin Davis.

At SDCC, Lionsgate has released a new trailer for The Long Walk. The trailer opens with a brief moment of levity, as Jonsson’s Peter McVries notes that he was warned not to make friends on The Long Walk, but he “kinda like[s]” some of his compeтιтors. The scene gets far more brutal as the reality of compeтιтion is revealed.

The boys have to walk by ᴅᴇᴀᴅ animals, past ominous graveyards, and watch those who cannot complete the walk get sH๏τ. The number of participants starts to dwindle away as Hamill’s The Major urges the boys forward. An eerie folk song combines with an intense score as the boys walk past townspeople, including family members.

What This Means For The Long Walk

The Horror Film Has Emotional Stakes

While the first The Long Walk trailer was nothing light, this version is the darkest take on the material yet. Some of the footage — such as one of the boys dragging an injured foot as he slowly walks — is shared with previous clips, but this trailer is far more unrelenting in its portrayal of the horror.

The physical horror also combines with the emotional distress of the boys’ participation in the game. There is a brief interaction between Raymond Garraty and his mother, the latter of whom seems both distraught and terrified. These family relationships will make the film even more stirring.

Our Take On The Long Walk Trailer

Its Use Of Music Is Fascinating

While this may not be the most inherently compelling detail of The Long Walk as a whole, it’s fascinating how this trailer treats music. The film features an original score by Jeremiah Fraites, who is best known as a multi-instrumental contributor and songwriter for the Grammy-nominated band The Lumineers.

This trailer mixes what is likely part of Fraites’ score with an existing folk song. Lawrence’s Hunger Games films have played with music in an interesting way, including a Lumineers song, and it looks like The Long Walk will do the same. This will help craft the intriguing atmosphere in what looks to be a great King adaptation.

Source: Lionsgate