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Thread: Frank Darabont and Stephen King to reteam again for 'The Long Walk'

  1. #1
    Kung Fu Hippie Watashi's Avatar
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    Frank Darabont and Stephen King to reteam again for 'The Long Walk'

    Directing three Stephen King movies (four, if you count an early short film) wasn't enough for Frank Darabont. Perhaps cinema's biggest fan of the horror author, the Mist writer/director has plans for another Stephen King movie. This one, written under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman, is the sci-fi tale The Long Walk.

    The story tells of a futuristic foot race where competitors are shot when they stop walking. The last man walking wins. A movie constantly on the go is the next hurdle Darabont faces.

    "Certainly you can't get too handheld with it because then you'd have an image bouncing for the length of a feature film," said Darabont. "I think there's got to be some stabilizing gizmos that I can use to get some of that coverage but I'm already thinking about that."

    Darabont distinguished between his styles for The Mist and his previous films. Where he spent time carefully planning on The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, he took a fast and furious approach to The Mist. That style would also be appropriate for The Long Walk.

    "That would also be, I think, probably the more ragged and loose and documentary kind of feel. It would probably be an even lower budget than this one was."

    With Fahrenheit 451 set to be Darabont's next project, The Long Walk could still be a long way off. "That right now is still in the future. That's on one of the back burners for now. It probably won't be too long but before I do that, I'm hoping to get Fahrenheit 451 rolling next year."
    Darabont should only adapt King material from now on. Anyone read the source material?
    Sure why not?

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    THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco) - 7
    THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Sean Baker) - 9
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    The Pan megladon8's Avatar
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    No, I have not read the book.

    But having those two names togther is enough to get my ass in the seat.
    "All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"

    "Rick...it's a flamethrower."

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    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    I've read the book. They're gonna reeeeaaaaally need to pump it up to make it an interesting cinematic adaptation. It's not structured very typically: not a lot of exterior drama. It's all inside the main character's head, as he watches (and participates) in this horrifying event of walking. I don't really see it working without major major revisions.

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    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    This is my favorite Stephen King book. I have a film adaptation imagined in my head that is brilliant. I dare Darabont to top it. :twisted:
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

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    Piss off, ghost! number8's Avatar
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    I'm interested just for that fact alone. A movie where the characters don't stop walking for the entire film is very interesting. It's gonna be like West Wing: The Movie.
    Quote Quoting Donald Glover
    I was actually just reading about Matt Damon and he’s like, ‘There’s a culture of outrage.’ I’m like, ‘Well, they have a reason to be outraged.’ I think it’s a lot of dudes just being scared. They’re like, ‘What if I did something and I didn’t realize it?’ I’m like, ‘Deal with it.’
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  6. #6
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Hopefully he won't carry over the aesthetic he used for The Mist (inspired by television drama). I think it will work better with a more lyrical approach. That's how I've always envisioned it, anyway.
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

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    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    LOVED the short story. I'm a bit scared of a film adaptation, but I think it could be done.

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    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    LOVED the short story. I'm a bit scared of a film adaptation, but I think it could be done.
    How?

    I ask you that, too, Rowland. How are you guys imagining this could be successful? I'm legitimately, pressingly curious. Nothing really happens. [
    ] Am I missing something? That's the gist of the entire narrative right there. There's no bad guys, no big conflicts, no drama, no revelations... nothing, really, except a premise and psychology.

  9. #9
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting iosos (view post)
    Am I missing something? That's the gist of the entire narrative right there. There's no bad guys, no big conflicts, no drama, no revelations... nothing, really, except a premise and psychology.
    You must not remember the story too well, because there is all sorts of drama, with assorted conflicts and revelations. I thought it was incredibly powerful, the ending had me in tears. It's about so much, and it expresses everything with such elegance and sustained tension.
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  10. #10
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Rowland (view post)
    You must not remember the story too well, because there is all sorts of drama, with assorted conflicts and revelations. I thought it was incredibly powerful, the ending had me in tears.
    Perhaps... maybe I'll pick it up again in the not-too-distant future. I read it in high school. Possibly junior high.

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    The Pan megladon8's Avatar
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    Which book was this story in?
    "All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"

    "Rick...it's a flamethrower."

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    Kung Fu Hippie Watashi's Avatar
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    So this is basically Gerry meets Battle Royale?

    I think it could be done.
    Sure why not?

    STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (Rian Johnson) - 9
    STRONGER (David Gordon Green) - 6
    THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco) - 7
    THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Sean Baker) - 9
    LADY BIRD (Greta Gerwig) - 8


    "Hitchcock is really bad at suspense."
    - Stay Puft

  13. #13
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting megladon8 (view post)
    Which book was this story in?
    It's a book, not a short story.
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  14. #14
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Rowland (view post)
    It's a book, not a short story.
    Technically it's a novella. It was (and still is, I presume) in The Bachman Books. Funny enough, it was my second favorite story in the book, after Rage.

  15. #15
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Rowland (view post)
    It's a book, not a short story.
    It's a "novella". It was first featured in "The Bachman Books" first, which is how I read it, but now it's released on its own.

    Edit: D'oh!

  16. #16
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting iosos (view post)
    Am I missing something? That's the gist of the entire narrative right there. There's no bad guys, no big conflicts, no drama, no revelations... nothing, really, except a premise and psychology.
    As Rowland said, there's a bit more to it than that. I see it as this slow burn of a film, gradually building suspense and emotion. In the spirit of Elephant, I guess, though that's not exactly what I'm thinking about.

  17. #17
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    Technically it's a novella. It was (and still is, I presume) in The Bachman Books. Funny enough, it was my second favorite story in the book, after Rage.
    I believe they were first released separately as novels by the pseudonym Richard Bachman. They were later collected and released as The Bachman Books by Stephen King.
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  18. #18
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Rowland (view post)
    I believe they were first released separately as novels by the pseudonym Richard Bachman. They were later collected and released as The Bachman Books by Stephen King.
    This could certainly be true. I don't know exactly how they were originally released. The Bachman Books was how I became aware of them.

  19. #19
    Crying Enthusiast Sven's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    ...after Rage.
    I really liked The Running Man, if only because it was vastly more complex than the movie. I should really reread a lot of those. I don't remember caring for Roadwork much.

  20. #20
    Too much responsibility Kurosawa Fan's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting iosos (view post)
    I really liked The Running Man, if only because it was vastly more complex than the movie. I should really reread a lot of those. I don't remember caring for Roadwork much.
    I don't remember either of those very well. I read it in the beginning of high school, which would have been about 12 years ago now. Both Rage and The Long Walk were unforgettable though.

  21. #21
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Kurosawa Fan (view post)
    As Rowland said, there's a bit more to it than that. I see it as this slow burn of a film, gradually building suspense and emotion. In the spirit of Elephant, I guess, though that's not exactly what I'm thinking about.
    There's a lot more to it than that, I think. Its examination of fascism, and its portrayal of the developing disillusionment with it amongst the boys during the walk is multifaceted and cumulatively devastating.
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  22. #22
    The Blind Bandit Saya's Avatar
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    This movie sounds interesting. It reminded me of another King story called The Running Man. I haven't read The Long Walk yet though.

    I also read this King interview recently in Time. He talks a bit about his new projects and about his work with Darabont.

  23. #23
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Gerry + Battle Royale sounds masterful.

    Barbarian - ***
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  24. #24
    pushing too many pencils Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Ezee E (view post)
    Gerry + Battle Royale sounds masterful.
    It's not really like Battle Royale though, because the kids don't fight (at least not physically). They just have to keep walking, at all costs...
    Letterboxd rating scale:
    The Long Riders (Hill) ***
    Furious 7 (Wan) **½
    Hard Times (Hill) ****½
    Another 48 Hrs. (Hill) ***
    /48 Hrs./ (Hill) ***½
    The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (Besson) ***
    /Unknown/ (Collet-Serra) ***½
    Animal (Simmons) **

  25. #25
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Rowland (view post)
    It's not really like Battle Royale though, because the kids don't fight (at least not physically). They just have to keep walking, at all costs...
    That doesn't sound cool then.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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