It’s not like Mark Hamill isn’t happy with his role as The Major in Stephen King’s recently released movie adaptation, The Long Walk, but he would have preferred something better. The talk is of 1983, when director David Cronenberg was directing The Dead Zone, another of King’s novel-to-movie adaptations.
Mark Hamill revealed to The New Yorker that he really wanted to be a part of that movie because the story was just phenomenal. The actor recalled that although he didn’t get an audition, he doesn’t hold grudges “like that”.
I didn’t get an audition, but I still read the book. It’s such a fantastic premise […] Anyways, the movie was great; Martin Sheen was perfect. […] I don’t hold grudges, I’m not like that.
Hamill also listed The Shining as his favorite movie of all time and the first Stephen King novel that he read. Despite King having many notable movie adaptations to his name, The Dead Zone remained an average box office success.
What Was David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone About?
Following the success of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, director David Cronenberg also tried his hand at a Stephen King novel adaptation and released the 1983 film, The Dead Zone.
Starring Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen in leading roles, The Dead Zone featured a dystopian story where Johnny Smith (Walken) wakes up from a coma and realizes that he has a psychic ability.
He has a vision that his ex-lover’s husband is going to run for president, and instead of being happy, he goes on a mission to stop that from happening. The film received great ratings and earned a decent amount of money back in 1983.
Key Facts About The Dead Zone:
| Directed By: | David Cronenberg |
| Cast: | Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Tom Skerritt |
| Year of Release: | 1983 |
| IMDb Rating: | 7.2/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: | 89% |
| Worldwide Box Office: | $20 million |
| Production House: | Dino De Laurentiis Company |
| Where to Watch: | Apple TV |
Mark Hamill’s Comments Could Pave the Way for King’s Infamous Movie Reboot
The Dark Tower is a 2017 movie that was also an adaptation of Stephen King’s grandiose novel. Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in leading roles, the film was a disastrous failure with low ratings, low earnings, and a weak storyline.
Well, with Mike Flanagan handling the reins of King’s adaptations, the director purchased the rights to The Dark Tower novel back in 2022. This has gotten the people talking that the universe will be turned into a TV show sooner or later, and there has been quite the excitement in the Stephen King fandom.
Since Mark Hamill is quite excited about the Stephen King universe, the actor could potentially portray the role of The Crimson King in the upcoming TV show.
Of course, it remains a speculation at this point, but it would be fun to see Mark Hamill donning another antagonistic role in a Stephen King movie, much like The Long Walk.
How did you like Mark Hamill’s role in The Long Walk? Let us know your thoughts about it in the comments below.
The Long Walk is currently screening in theaters (USA).
