The Long Walk: Garrett Wareing breaks down his role and filming challenges in Stephen King’s adaptation

The Long Walk comes as one of the most upsetting Stephen King stories to ever be brought to the screen. This adaptation of King's novel, published in 1979, propels viewers into a grim post-war America in which survival depends on the breakneck brutality of a government-sanctioned competition.

Hard-hitting and profound, the film exposes any filthy hope you might have had—and asks you to face life’s brokenness the way it was meant to be lived. There is tension in every scene, both in your face and under your nose. It is further heightened by its meditation on friendship and death, which are the heart of the story.

For King fans, The Long Walk is one of his darkest works, and this movie certainly nods toward that lineage. By not softening its violence or blunting its themes, the adaptation lingers as a grim experience. It doesn’t depict horror as spectacle so much as the psychological burden of existing while hell unfolds as a fact of life. That burden rests on the shoulders of its young cast, all teenagers whose lives are wagered for the show of a nation.

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The Long Walk: Garrett Wareing on his role and filming challenges

Garrett Wareing, who portrays Stebbins, discussed the emotional and physical toll that making the movie took on him in an interview with Mama’s Geeky. He explained the process, saying:

"It was relentless, and it was beautiful, and it was, it taught me a lot, and it was cathartic, and it was difficult. In every way, it was perfect. It was what it was. And what you see on screen is all true. I mean, both from the camaraderie and the companionship to the emotions and the pain and the way that we’re walking. I mean, that’s all, that’s all true."

Discussing the arc of his character, Wareing emphasized how important the sudden reveal about Stebbins was halfway through the story. He added:

"I mean, that’s his objective and getting into the walk to begin with, you know, everybody has their reasons for getting in, but I think Stebbins’ is a brutal one."

When the film was released to positive early notices, including an early 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Wareing celebrated with cast members on a group chat for the work they had gone through together.

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Stephen King's vision and the plot of The Long Walk

The Long Walk takes place in a dystopian world in which 100 boys must compete in an annual contest. The rules are simple but brutal: walk at a speed of four miles per hour, never stop, and never fall behind. A warning is given every time a contestant makes a mistake; on the third mistake, the contestant is eliminated on the spot. There can only be one victor, and he will receive a fortune and the fulfillment of any desire he selects.

Stephen King, in an interview with The Times of London quoted:

“I said, if you’re not going to show it, don’t bother. And so they made a pretty brutal movie.”

Screenwriter JT Mollner also felt it was important to keep the rawness of King’s story. While at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, he stressed that he was trying to safeguard what King had envisioned. He said:

“We wanted to go all the way. I knew that Stephen King wanted us to go all the way. I knew Lionsgate wanted us to go all the way. If this book got into the wrong hands, studio or filmmakers. It could’ve been neutered. So, I’m very grateful we were able to keep the teeth that the book has.”

Stephen King underscored that these characters mirrored the youth drafted into conflicts like Vietnam, which made their suffering essential to the story’s impact.

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How The Long Walk is a brutal yet true adaptation of King's story

The Long Walk is receiving high praise; early viewers have reported being shaken by the graphic depiction of suffering, camaraderie, and adversity. Stebbins, played by Garrett Wareing, is the heartrending realization of shattered dreams, and the ensemble forges an eerie sense of camaraderie that lingers long after the credits roll.

In respecting King’s call for authenticity, Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of The Long Walk has taken its rightful place alongside the finest of the author’s interpretations. Indeed, for audiences, the film is more than a dystopian survival tale. It becomes a meditation on life’s fleetingness, the connections made under strain, and the decisions undertaken while suffering the inevitable that lies ahead.