Stephen King's The Long Walk coming to the big screen

Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' is being made into a film that is being directed by Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal.

The 'Troll Hunter' director is set to helm New Line's big screen adaptation of the book, which was released by King in 1979 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The dystopian novel is set in an America ruled by a totalitarian and militaristic dictator and follows one hundred teenage boys as they join an annual walking contest called 'The Long Walk' or just 'The Walk'.

Each contestant, called a 'Walker', must maintain a speed of at least four miles per hour; if he drops below that speed for 30 seconds, he will receive a verbal warning on three occasions before being shot dead by soldiers riding in half-tracks along the roadside.

The winner receives 'The Prize': which is anything he wants for the rest of his life.

Although 'The Long Walk' was not King's first novel to be released, it was the first he wrote, having started it in his first year studying at University of Maine.

The screenplay has been written by James Vanderbilt who is also producing with Bradley Fischer and William Sherak.

'The Long Walk' is one of three King adaptations in the works at New Line.

'It: Chapter Two' will be released in September 2019 and is set 27 years after the events of 'It' and will see the adult members of 'The Losers Club' return to Maine to fight the evil Pennywise the Dancing Clown once again.

Meanwhile, James Wan is teaming up with screenwriter Gary Dauberman - who penned the script for 2017's remake of 'It' and the upcoming sequel - to adapt the 1975 book 'Salem's Lot' - which follows a writer who returns to his childhood home to discover everyone he knows is a vampire.