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Stephen King has had many of his legendary novels turned into movies and TV shows throughout the years, but this year, one of his first works will be introduced on the big screen, and will finally right a mistake he made when writing it over five decades ago.
Whilst taking part in a Reddit 'ask me anything' in promotion for The Long Walk, King was asked by one fan, "Why did you go with 4 mph in the book?" referring to the speed at which the contestants are forced to walk. King replied, "At the time, I thought that was walking speed. I suggested J. T. Mollner change it to 3 mph in the movie, and they did. More realistic. In my own defense, there was no internet or chatbots or any of that shit in 1967."
In King’s novel, the 'Long Walk' is an annual contest where 100 young men must walk continuously, keeping a minimum pace of 4 mph. If a walker falls below this speed for 30 seconds, they are issued a warning, and if they receive three warnings in one hour, they are shot and killed by soldiers. There can only be one winner, and whoever is left standing at the end is promised a life of wealth and luxury.
Whilst 4 miles per hour seems a little too fast, another fan pointed out that this is more or less the speed that the military uses for their timed ruck pace. So, really, King’s original novel was not too unrealistic at all. After all, King was just a freshman at the University of Maine when he first started writing The Long Walk in 1967.
Not only were there no chatbots in 1967, but there were also very few tales of dystopian contests, meaning The Long Walk was something of a pioneer. Another fan asked the author if there was "a specific situation or event that inspired the Long Walk?" to which King replied, "I was thinking it would be terrifying to have a contest where the losers got killed. This was a long time ago, before Hunger Games and Squid Game."
Funnily enough, The Long Walk adaptation is directed by Francis Lawrence, the same filmmaker behind The Hunger Games franchise. Much like King’s works, the film follows a set of teens who take part in a grueling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk or risk being shot by their military escort.
The film stars Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang, David Jonsson, and Charlie Plummer as some of the contestants, and Mark Hamill as the ruthless major.
The Long Walk is set to hit the big screen on September 12. For more, check out our list of the best Stephen King movies, and keep up with other upcoming horror movies heading your way.
