Lionsgate will release the latest Stephen King adaptation, The Long Walk, in the fall of 2025. This movie is based on King's 1979 novel, which he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The movie features an excellent cast, including Walking Dead actor Josh Hamilton, known for his portrayal of Lance Hornsby in the series' final season.
The Long Walk is an intense and emotional thriller directed by Francis Lawrence, who is known for the post-apocalyptic I Am Legend and The Hunger Games series of movies. JT Mollner wrote the story and recently directed the thriller Strange Darling, starring TWD actor Kyle Gallner.
The new dystopian thriller is set in the United States, which is ruled by a totalitarian faction. The primary focus of the story follows 100 young men chosen to participate in the annual walking contest. They must maintain a speed of 3 mph walking non-stop until only one remains.
The movie features an incredible cast, which includes Mark Hamill as the major, who oversees contest. He is joined by Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Judy Greer, and Hamilton will also appear in the movie.
The Long Walk will release in the United States on Sept, 12, 2025. Check out the trailer below.
The film has been a long time coming, as George A. Romero was first considered to direct the adaptation in 1988. By 2007, Walking Dead's original showrunner, Frank Darabont, secured the rights to the film and stated he would "get to it one day," but that never happened. New Line Cinema was next in talks for the movie in 2018, and in 2019, André Øvredal was announced to direct.
Finally, in 2023, Lionsgate Films announced Lawrence would direct the screenplay written by Mollner. By June 2024, the casting announcements began, and this fall, viewers who have longed to see this novel adapted for the screen will get their wish.
Josh Hamilton - other roles
Hamilton joined TWDU in the series' final season as Deputy Governor Lance Hornsby of the Commonwealth. He was the face of the community featured in the welcome video, which showcased the perfection of the CW, but it all seemed too good to be true. In the end, he was going to be exiled, but pulled a gun on Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), prompting her to shoot him in the neck with an arrow. Later, he was seen as a walker at the gates of the CW, and before Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) could allow his walker bite her, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) shoots Hornsby in the brain.
The actor has recently appeared in several series, including the Apple TV+ thriller The Last Thing He Told Me, starring Jennifer Garner. He also appeared in an episode of Fox's crime drama anthology, Accused. His recent film credits include the 2023 Peabody Award–winning film Reality, which chronicles the story of whistleblower Reality Winner, and the Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper led Maestro.
Next, Hamilton will appear with an all-star cast in Oscar-nominated Noah Baumbach's Netflix film, John Kelly. The movie is described as a "heartbreaking comedy " and is scheduled to release in theaters on Nov. 14, ahead of its Netflix premiere on Dec. 5.
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