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The Long Walk star Garrett Wareing compares the film to Hunger Games, and notes that its story predates the massive YA wave.
Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: garrett wareing, lionsgate, The Long Walk
Garrett Wareing Compares The Long Walk to The Hunger Games
The Long Walk star Garrett Wareing compares the film to Hunger Games, and notes that its story predates the massive YA wave.
Article Summary
- Garrett Wareing compares The Long Walk to The Hunger Games, highlighting its influence on the YA genre.
- The Long Walk is based on a Stephen King story that predates modern dystopian favorites like Divergent and Maze Runner.
- Francis Lawrence directs, bringing a similar visual style and intensity seen in The Hunger Games franchise.
- The film is earning critical praise for performances and themes, but opened with modest box office numbers.
The Long Walk is getting plenty of attention from audiences this week, and not just for its brutal, horror-adjacent premise. In a new interview, star Garrett Wareing says the latest Stephen King adaptation belongs in the conversation with modern YA juggernauts, while also pointing out it happens to predate them.
Speaking to Deadline, the actor explains, "I mean, what an honor to be considered amongst the ranks of Divergent and Hunger Games. Also, Maze Runner's been coming to mind a lot for me recently. I loved that growing up. [The Long Walk] predates all of those. It predates Battle Royale, it predates Hunger Games, it predates Divergent, and the fact that those films paved the way for our film to now come through and have this story be told is an honor." He then adds, "Hunger Games is what got me into acting. I wanted to be in The Hunger Games, and to work with Francis made 12-year-old Garrett's dreams absolutely come true."
On screen, Francis Lawrence sticks close to King's initial setup. But in this adaptation, fifty boys walk under the constant threat of execution until only one remains. Cooper Hoffman plays Ray Garraty, with David Jonsson as Peter McVries and Wareing as Stebbins. Mark Hamill and Judy Greer round out the adult roles, with Hamill stepping into a more antagonistic character.
How The Long Walk Compares to Other YA Titles
Early reception has been strong so far, with reviews praising the performances and Lawrence's eye for control. However, the box office is more modest. The film opened around $11.5–$11.7 million domestically in a crowded weekend, which is well below the YA highs. For comparison, The Hunger Games opened to $152.5 million back in 2012, and The Maze Runner launched with $32.5 million in 2014 on its way to $348 million worldwide.
With that being said, The Long Walk is shaping up as a critical win that may not hit the genre's commercial peaks. Wareing's comparison still fits, though, because the movie plays in the same thematic lane of state power, spectacle as punishment, and kids forced to perform for survival. Additionally, Lawrence brings the Hunger Games visual perspective, the young cast sells the ordeal, and the conversation around the film keeps growing. Whether it matches mainstream franchise numbers or not, it is still carving out its own place in the dystopia canon.
Lionsgate's film The Long Walk is in theaters everywhere.
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