Summary
Although the legendaryMark Hamillneeds very little introduction, the veteran actor has played the iconic Luke Skywalker in all theStar Warsfilms and sequel trilogies, as well as in the television seriesThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fettfor nearly 50 years. Now, Hamill is making another notch in his illustrious career’s belt by starring in an adaptation ofStephen King’s 1979 novelThe Long Walkthat will see Hamill take on the role of the ruthless Major, as well as Albie Krantz inThe Life of Chuck.Although this will be Hamill’s first time stepping inside the world of King, other than a short and uncredited cameo inSleepwalkersas Sheriff Jenkins,he believes that the world-renowned author has been continuously, and unfairly, typecast.
The Long Walk’s plot follows a group of 100 contestants who must take part in a horrifying televised annual walking contest without stopping, which is ruled by a totalitarian regime. Unless they want to face warnings or certain death, the young men must maintain a speed of 4 miles per hour. Recently,readers of the book praised the adaptation after watchingThe Long Walk’s most recent trailerand finding out that the speed had finally been reduced to a realistic 3 miles per hour, giving high praise to director Francis Lawrence for listening to readers' complaints over the years.
Mark Hamills Says It’s “A Shame” Stephen King Is “Typed as a Horror Writer” as He’s So Versatile
Speaking aboutThe Life of ChuckwithDen of Geek, Mark Hamill talked about his first encounter with King’s work through the author’s huge catalog of books, revealing that he initially read the 1983 novelPet Sematary, which he thought was “absolutely, unbearably terrifying.” Hamill said that someone suggested that he should go on to read some of King’s non-horror works, likeThe Shawshank Redemption,The Body[adapted intoStand by Me], orGreen Mile,which opened Hamill’s world to King’s other genres, leaving him with the thought of how versatile he is and that it is “a shame” that he has been labeled as just a horror writer.
“It’s almost a shame that he’s typed as a horror writer when there’s so many other emotions that he elicits, not only in his non-genre work, but in something like The Shining. There are such human, relatable moments. I think that’s part of his gift, making you relate and believe in the people and the circumstances, so that when things go sideways, you’re unprepared.”
Unfortunately,King really didn’t appreciate Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation ofThe Shining, stating that he didn’t like how Kubrick portrayed the character of Wendy (played by the late Shelley Duvall) as weak and incapable of self-agency. He also hated Jack Nicholson’s version of Jack, who he described as “having no arc in that movie.” However, Hamill admits that Kubrick’s film is what convinced him to read King’s novel, because with the book he could “read” a character’s thoughts.
“A lot is left to the audience in terms of interpretation, because that’s just the kind of director Kubrick is. He’s much more interested in the atmosphere and the composition. He’s a fabulous filmmaker, but when you read the book, you hear the character’s thoughts, you find out who the ghosts are, what incident occurred there that made it become haunted, all these things that you have to lose to make a movie two and a half hours long. So I walked straight from seeing The Shining to a bookstore to buy the book to figure out what the hell I just watched.”
The Long Walkis scheduled to be released on Jun 17, 2025,andThe Life of Chuckwas released in select theaters in the United States on Jun 19, 2025, before expanding to a wider release on June 13.
