We all know how The Long Walk had its premiere and rave reviews. However, the ending of The Long Walk was heavily altered from Stephen King’s original novel of the same name.
Well, the film’s altered ending was obviously approved by Stephen King, but the producer of the movie was warned before getting the ending approved. In an interview with ScreenRant, Roy Lee (the producer) revealed that Stephen King’s agent warned that the author wouldn’t approve of the altered ending that they had come up with.
The movie’s very faithful to the book, except for certain parts that I don’t want to get into because of spoilers. I was actually told by Stephen’s agent, ‘There’s no way that you’re going to be able to get Stephen to approve this ending.’
Roy Lee continued,
And I was like, ‘Just have Stephen read it, and let’s see where it goes.‘
Well, the ending in question was quite different than what Stephen King had originally written for his 1979 novel. In fact, it completely altered the message that the author wanted to say through his book.
What Was the OG Ending in Stephen King’s The Long Walk?
In the Stephen King novel, Peter McVries doesn’t even win the competition (unlike the movie). Rather, it is the character of Ray Garraty who wins the competition in the end.
In the movie, it was showcased that Ray Garraty makes a sacrificial move and pulls McVries ahead to finish the walk. However, Garraty stops himself and gets shot by the Major and his soldiers.
When McVries is declared the winner, he asks for a Carbine rifle from a nearby soldier and kills the Major with it. The movie ending makes it about revenge, and McVries avenging Garraty’s father, while the book has a much bleaker and darker ending.
In the novel, Garraty wins the walk and sees a shadowy figure behind the Major. Refusing to believe that the competition was over, Garraty has a mental breakdown as he sprints towards the shadow, believing that the walk is truly never over.
| Key Facts About The Long Walk | |
| Directed By: | Francis Lawrence |
| Cast: | David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang |
| Year of Release: | 2025 |
| IMDb Rating: | 7.6/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score: | 90% |
| Production House: | Lionsgate |
Francis Lawrence Completely Twisted Stephen King’s OG Message With the Ending
Although Francis Lawrence is an iconic director, the decision to alter the ending of Stephen King’s novel was quite… controversial, to say the least. The OG King ending was a bit anticlimactic, while the film had sort of a good character arc for the protagonists.
With that being said, however, the novel delved into themes of existentialism, dread, survival, and the complete psychological breakdown of a character. The movie, on the other hand, was about revenge and fighting against a system.
Although it was somewhat of a minor change for Lawrence, his movie severed the connection with the book the moment Ray Garraty stopped walking. Of course, to each their own, but in my opinion, the ending of the novel was far deeper and more psychological than the movie.
Which ending do you prefer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Long Walk is currently screening in theaters (USA).
