Before taking a Long Walk to theaters in September, the team behind the latest Stephen King adaptation hit San Diego Comic Con. We brought writer JT Mollner and producer Roy Lee into the THS studio at SDCC to talk about the making of the film.

Mollner kicked things off with praise for The Long Walk director, Francis Lawrence.

“Francis [Lawrence] went into this with a really fearless attitude. I really wanted to write it when I met with him… He really wanted to go all the way with the film, and not pull any punches. I think there’s a brutal honesty to the movie,” said Mollner.

King’s story centers around a brutal (and deadly) contest of endurance – the titular “Long Walk”. The film’s authoritarian villain, The Major, will come to life on screen thanks to the legendary Mark Hamill.

While Hamill apparently hoped everyone would hang out and bond “like summer camp,” that didn’t fly with some of the younger cast members.

“Some of the cast didn’t even want to talk to him off set!” Mollner said. “Cooper Hoffman didn’t want to talk to Mark because he didn’t want to like him. So that was his process.”

Learn more about Hamill’s role and creating unique and impactful horror stories in our full interview with Mollner and Lee below.

About The Long Walk

From the highly anticipated adaptation of master storyteller Stephen King’s first-written novel, and Francis Lawrence, the visionary director of The Hunger Games franchise films, comes The Long Walk. The intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go?

King’s original novel tells the story of “The Long Walk,” an annual contest where 100 young men must walk continuously along a predetermined route. Soldiers follow the participants, and execute those who fall behind. The Walk continues until only one survivor remains.

The film stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, and Josh Hamilton, with Judy Greer and Mark Hamill. JT Mollner (Strange Darling) adapted King’s novel for the screen. Producers include director Lawrence, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, and Cameron MacConomy.

The Long Walk premieres in theaters September 12.

Meanwhile, check out more Stephen King news, the latest in horror, and more out of SDCC at THS.

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