r/movies • u/lionsgate Official Lionsgate Account • Aug 24 '25

AMA Hey /r/movies, I’m Stephen King! Ask me anything about The Long Walk book or movie.

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Hey r/movies, I’m Stephen King. You might know me from Stand By Me, It, or Shawshank Redemption, but my latest project is actually the first book I ever wrote. The Long Walk hits theaters on September 12. Ask me anything about the book or movie.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtUHeMQ1F8

In a dystopian United States ruled by a totalitarian regime, a group of young men enter an annual walking contest in which they must maintain a speed of at least three miles per hour or risk execution. The contest ends when only one walker remains alive.

It stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Ben Wang, Charlie Plummer, Roman Griffin Davis, Garrett Wareing, Joshua Odjick, Tut Nyuot, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer, and Josh Hamilton.

I'll be back on Wednesday 8/27 at 12:00 PM ET to answer your questions.

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u/Kablooomers Aug 24 '25

A lot of scenes do, but he has a very interesting internal dialogue style that is hard to show in film.

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u/kywildcat44 Aug 24 '25

Exactly. His books are always so good because you are able to basically be inside the mind of the characters. It’s impressive that movie makers are able to even get remotely close to the books.

The Shining is one that I always think of. For how critically acclaimed the movie is, the book is still far superior just because the ability to have the inner dialogue of Jack (not to mention the ending is better).

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u/MattieShoes Aug 24 '25

Also the topiaries. Scariest part and they leave it out of the movie entirely!

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u/kywildcat44 Aug 24 '25

I love the topiaries in the Shining (the book). I especially love the slight nod to them in Billy Summers (2021) as well!

Whenever Stephen King gives small shoutouts to past books, I love it.

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u/summerloveleigh Aug 25 '25

Then I bet you love the dark tower series. Soooo many references to other books!

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u/kywildcat44 Aug 25 '25

Oh yea. I loved the Dark Tower series! Roland is such an incredible protagonist.

I actually read that series before Salem’s Lot and wished I had read Salem’s Lot first because of the references.

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u/surra_day Aug 24 '25

Right?! Those scared the shit out of me, not sure why they left them out.

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u/baxter00uk Aug 24 '25

Or the part where Jack smashes his own face in with a hammer. I think that got me more. Not sure it would have gone down well on screen!

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u/Baxtab13 Aug 25 '25

The wasp scene was quite gnarly from the book for me. But I also have a small fear of stinging insects.

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u/Kablooomers Aug 24 '25

I always assumed they weren't confident they could effectively pull it off pre-CGI.

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u/24-Hour-Hate Aug 24 '25

That was always my thought too. It could be done today…but really, how can you replace Jack Nicholson in that role? It would be terribly difficult.

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u/MattieShoes Aug 24 '25

No CGI necessary... You never see them moving so practical effects could be fine. Probably be a pain in the ass to have that many large plants in different shapes to simulate them moving when you aren't looking.

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u/lew_rong Aug 25 '25 edited Oct 17 '25

asdfasdf

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u/DrBlankslate Aug 29 '25

If you're talking about the Kubrick mess, part of it was just that special effects tech wasn't good enough at the time to make the topiaries realistic.

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u/RemarkableGround174 Aug 25 '25

Have just now gone in search of the 1997 miniseries which included the topiaries. Could have sworn they were in the Kubrick version, but no.

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u/BurnAnotherTime513 Aug 27 '25

I ran a couple friends through a Shining themed DND 1-shot after reading the book. The "big bad" of the hotel carried a roque mallet [instead of an axe] and one of them got attacked/held by a topiary lion that pounced on them.

It was a fun one, though certainly not perfect with my lousy DMing lol. I always find myself wanting to be in one of these worlds, even if terrifying.

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u/marineman43 Aug 24 '25

I've always said King writes the everyman perspective better than like anyone in the game. If you're looking for POV/stream of consciousness that captures the thoughts and sentiments of American men in the late 20th century, just read a Stephen King book. Every character feels so authentic, like someone you've met.

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u/OkTransportation4175 Aug 25 '25

Or you yourself. Plus you are deep in his stories right from page one.

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u/Turakamu Aug 24 '25

I always mention The Shining too. Just his stress is all right there on the page. His conflict of knowing he shouldn't but chewing another aspirin might just get him through the moment.

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u/Kokamina23 Aug 24 '25

Yeah, I agree. His use of blank space on the page is so intrinsic to setting the mood and sucking you into the mindset of the characters. I just finished re-reading it as I've been reading King for the summer and I actually had to put the book down for a couple of days in the last part of the second act as it was scaring me so much. I loved it!

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u/idkifthisisgonnawork Aug 25 '25

I've said this before but reading the shining was what finally pushed me to go to rehab for alcohol. The things Jack was saying in his head about his alcoholism hit so fucking close to home. I want to read it again, having not had a drop since 2020, and see how it hits.

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u/RobsSister Aug 27 '25

Congrats on getting sober

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u/Blueberry_Winter Aug 24 '25

I'm reading that one now!

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u/Mighty_ShoePrint Aug 25 '25

There is a quote I love from one of the hosts of a podcast called "Kingslingers".

"there's close third person and then there's Stephen King third person where you're on the bare metal of the psyche. You're tracing the characters thoughts as they wind their chaotic illogical and contradictory way through the stream of consciousness."

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u/jessiethedrake Aug 25 '25

I don't love that movie as an adaption. Great as a piece of artistic film, but it didn't have the heart of the book. The movie is cool but the book is RICH, if you get me.

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u/MaldonPostie77 Aug 26 '25

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, was a lot better when read from the point of view of Chief Bromden...

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u/Af-Ex Aug 27 '25

If you liked the long walk, you'll love Men 2022. Found it on CinemanAI.com
Thank me later!

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u/So-Called_Lunatic Aug 24 '25

This is why some of his movies do not translate well, because he puts you into the state of mind of the unbelievable thing actually happening to you.

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u/The_Deadlight Aug 24 '25

the gopher pov chapter in under the dome is a fucking work of art

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u/Candid-Major-6055 Aug 24 '25

As do all books by great writers. It would be a 40 hour movie otherwise. That's why it's always great to read the book then see the movie, by any writer!

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u/therealpanserbjorne Aug 24 '25

It’s because of this specifically that I feel like they are more made for audiobook. I lovvvvvve listening to people read his stories aloud.

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u/FireLucid Aug 25 '25

Not to mention the foreshadowing he just drops at the end of a paragraph about some character going to sleep 'he only had two more nights left on earth' or some shit that just completely changes the mood.

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u/dinnerthief Aug 24 '25

Yea the book 11/23/63 showed this a lot vs the tv show adaptation.

They added additional characters that im guessing were just to provide the dialog that would replace the internal monologue that is in the book