The producer for The Long Walk teases elements that were changed for the book adaptation. The upcoming dystopian thriller is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, though the author published it under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Though it was not released until 1979, The Long Walk was actually the first novel King ever wrote.

The book focuses on a group of teenage boys who participate in a compeтιтion in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or risk being sH๏τ. Several adaptations of The Long Walk have been floated over the years, but none have come to fruition until this 2025 version by Francis Lawrence. This version’s cast includes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, and Mark Hamill.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Joe Deckelmeier, The Long Walk producer Roy Lee voiced his caution about the movie making too many changes from the book. The producer noted that the film is overall “very faithful to the book.”

King’s agent thought that there was “no way that [they were] going to be able to get Stephen to approve this ending.” Lee was vague as to what the outcome of this was. Check out the full quote below:

The movie’s very faithful to the book, except for certain parts that I don’t want to get into because of spoilers. I was actually told by Stephen’s agent, “There’s no way that you’re going to be able to get Stephen to approve this ending.” And I was like, “Just have Stephen read it, and let’s see where it goes.”

What Roy Lee’s Comments Mean For The Long Walk

Lee’s quote has a multi-faceted reveal embedded into it. For one, it does confirm that the movie stays pretty true to the source material. While Lee did say that “certain parts” were the exception, The Long Walk adaptation did follow most of the original novel’s text.

This makes sense given the context of this particular adaptation. Whereas works like Carrie have gotten several adaptations, this is the first time The Long Walk is hitting the big screen. As such, there is no pressure to do something different with this movie, as audiences are not already accustomed to it.

The second reveal, though, is that some elements of The Long Walk have been changed. Lee might have been a bit coy about it, but he heavily implies that one such element is the movie’s ending. Now, it seems pretty clear what that change is, and it’s quite significant.

Whereas the book has Raymond Garraty (Hoofman) win the game before eventually dying of fright due to a mystery being, the movie changes several characters’ fates. Peter McVries (Jonsson) dies earlier in the book after deciding to sit down and get sH๏τ, but the movie has him crowned the winner. This came after Garraty stopped McVries from sitting down and eventually sacrificed himself to let McVries win.

The final moments show McVries eventually fulfilling Garraty’s revenge by killing the Major before eventually walking into the rainy night, with his fate left uncertain.

Our Take On The Long Walk’s Ending Change

With The Long Walk now in theaters, it will be interesting to see how non-readers and general audiences will react to the movie’s ending. Stephen King readers will have the most profound reactions, as it could be very divisive. In particular, King readers are typically a pᴀssionate group of people who will, as such, have strong reactions to any story shifts.

On the other hand, Lee’s reveal brings curiosity about how King reacted to The Long Walk ending since the producer didn’t detail the eventual talks. For now, it’s clear that the movie’s ending will spark a lot of discussions, but it’s a matter of seeing how well it will be received.