Stephen King stipulated one non-negotiable condition for the film adaptation of his novel The Long Walk: it had to feature unflinching, graphic violence.
In a recent interview with The Times U.K., the acclaimed author condemned the sanitized violence prevalent in many superhero films from studios like Marvel and DC, arguing they often depict mass destruction without showing its realistic, gory consequences.
“If you look at these superhero movies, you’ll see…some supervillain who’s destroying whole city blocks but you never see any blood,” King said. “And man, that’s wrong. It’s almost, like, pornographic.”
This conviction led to his ultimatum for The Long Walk adaptation. “I said, if you’re not going to show it, don’t bother,” King recalled. “And so they made a pretty brutal movie.”
Based on King’s 1979 dystopian horror novel, the film follows a group of teenage boys in a grim annual contest where they must maintain a certain walking speed or be killed. The last one standing wins. The movie is directed by Francis Lawrence, with a screenplay by J.T. Mollner.
While many superhero blockbusters avoid graphic violence to appeal to a broader, family-friendly audience, several R-rated films such as the Deadpool series, The Suicide Squad, and Blade have embraced more explicit content.
The Long Walk is scheduled to be released in theaters on September 12.
