INTERVIEW: André Øvredal Talks Adapting Stephen King’s The Long Walk

Norwegian director André Øvredal has made his mark in the world of horror over recent years. After debuting with the found footage hit, Troll Hunter, Øvredal made his English language debut with the acclaimed The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Since then, Øvredal has worked with Guillermo del Toro on anthology horror Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark.

Øvredal’s proficient skill in crafting scares has led to him to land directing gigs on a host of exciting, upcoming projects. He is set to helm an adaptation of Stephen King’s first written novel, The Long Walk.

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While talking to FandomWire’s Oliver Swift about his new release, Mortal, Øvredal talked about the huge pressure and sense of responsibility towards adapting such a beloved piece of King’s work.

OS: You’re attached to direct Stephen King’s The Long Walk. Is that still progressing?

AØ: Yes, it is. Obviously, a lot more slower because of Corona, but I’m hoping we can gear that up as soon as possible.  

OS: Do you feel more of a sense of responsibility adapting something that is pretty iconic already?

AØ: Yeah, I feel great responsibility. I love Stephen King and beyond my own personal love for Stephen King, the whole world loves him. He’s maybe the most prolific and loved author of recent decades, worldwide. And I think the responsibility of adapting one of his greatest novels is enormous, but at the same time the script that Jamie Vanderbilt wrote is fantastic. It’s so close to the book and it’s honouring everything that book really is and I think we’re in a very good place with making a film that will live up to expectations. 

The Long Walk is a dystopian horror that follows a group of boys who take part in an annual, gruelling ‘walking’ contest. Any contestants who drop below the required walking speeds are killed.

George A. Romero and Frank Darabont have both been attached to direct an adaptation of this novel, before. Øvredal’s version currently has no release date.

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Øvredal’s newest release, Mortal, is described as ‘Chronicle meets X-Men meets Thor.’

A synopsis reads:

Based on ancient Norse Mythology, a young boy must discover the origins of his extraordinary powers before he is captured by authorities hell-bent on condemning him for an accidental murder. A breath-taking and thrilling origins adventure story about one boy’s journey to uncover who, or what, he really is.

Mortal is available to on Digital HD August 3rd and DVD August 24th, in the UK. It stars Nat Wolff, Iben Akerlie and Priyanka Bose.