We’ve seen custom popcorn buckets and in-theater appearances from stars at various showings of popular movies this year. However, we haven’t seen anything close to what’s being rolled out for the new Stephen King adaptation, The Long Walk. The movie is set to offer a special screening in Los Angeles, allowing a select group of viewers a first look at the film ahead of its Sept. 12 release date—but there’s a catch.
Moviegoers will watch the special screening while walking on treadmills in the theater, replicating the storyline from The Long Walk. In the film, 50 teenage boys participate in a walking contest where they must maintain a speed of at least 3 mph. To provide viewers at the screening with a somewhat similar experience, they must also maintain a speed of 3 mph or higher on the treadmill; otherwise, they’ll be removed from the theater, as Entertainment Weekly revealed.
Special Treadmill Screening of ’The Long Walk’ Could Be Over for Some Before the Movie Ends
While the actors in Lionsgate’s The Long Walk get two warnings for failing to maintain a speed of 3 mph, it’s unknown if viewers at the screening will be warned before being sent home early. So, for those who do get to take part in the early viewing, there’s a risk that you may be forced to miss the ending if unable to keep up the pace throughout the 1 hour and 48 minute film.
The special event will be hosted by The Culver Theater in California.
The Long Walk, directed by Francis Lawrence, pits the 50 teenagers against one another in a last-man-standing challenge. In the film, the rules state that after two warnings for failing to remain above a 3 mph pace, the third time, they’re shot dead. The movie features David Jonsson, Cooper Hoffman, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Tut Nyuot, and several other notable names, with Mark Hamill playing the role of The Major.
The unique concept for the special screening offers viewers a glimpse into the movie’s grueling storyline, albeit a small one, by putting them up to a real-life test. Obviously, it won’t directly correlate to what the actors had to do while filming the movie, as Nyuot explained to Entertainment Weekly that they only filmed one scene per day, as they were literally walking constantly.
“We’re walking, we’re actually walking,” said Nyuot. “It’s something that I don’t think has ever been done, just constantly on the move. So mentally, just getting into that headspace and just staying locked in and treating every scene as if it’s new, ’cause we’re doing it so many times. We filmed one scene a day.”
Fortunately, if walking for nearly two hours isn’t exactly up your alley, The Long Walk hits theaters less than two weeks after the treadmill screener, which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 30.
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