By Gina Yarbrough
San Diego, CA–The crowd at San Diego Comic-Con erupted with excitement during the highly anticipated debut of Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” at Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center.
The film’s impressive panel included stars David Jonsson, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing, and Mark Hamill. Joining them were producer Roy Lee and screenwriter JT Mollner, with the discussion moderated by The Kingcast hosts, Eric Vespe and Anthony Breznican.
The event began with a surprise pre-recorded message from author Stephen King, who introduced the “The Long Walk” official trailer to an enthusiastic audience.
Shortly after, the cast took the stage, with Hamill drawing loud cheers as he opened his jacket to reveal a shirt reading, “Based on the novel by Richard Bachman”—a nod to the pen name King used when he first wrote “The Long Walk.”
Panelists shared behind-the-scenes stories about meeting King, capturing the intensity of Hamill’s performance as “The Major,” and the physical toll of portraying characters walking dozens of miles daily. They also spoke about the unique bond formed during the emotionally and physically demanding shoot.
The panel wrapped up with a special video message from director Francis Lawrence, known for “The Hunger Games” franchise, and star Ben Wang, who unveiled an exclusive preview of the film’s opening 22 minutes. A disclaimer preceded the screening, noting that some scenes would be blacked out due to content considered too intense for the Hall H audience.
The film’s adaptation pushes audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go?
Lee, a longtime admirer of Stephen King’s work, said he has read every novel the author has written and was eager to bring one to the screen. When the chance arose to adapt, he quickly embraced the project.
“When this one became available, I was like, of course, I would love to do this. It was the fastest from development to production of a movie I’ve been involved with. The time we started the time wrap was under 18 months,” Lee said.
Hamill, who plays “The Major” in the film, talked about his experiences while making the
“The young people playing the walkers are the real heart and soul of the movie, just like in the book,” Hamill said of his fellow cast members. “They did a great job of adapting the book. Stephen King’s happy. When he’s happy, I’m happy.”
“The Long Walk” stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Josh Hamilton, with Judy Greer, and Mark Hamill.
“The Long Walk” hits theaters on September 12.
