Lionsgate is going with a smart awards strategy in hopes of becoming a dark horse Oscar contender.
Francis Lawrence’s “The Long Walk” will campaign its entire principal cast of boys — including Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson — in the supporting acting categories across all major awards bodies, Variety has learned exclusively.
The Lionsgate dystopian drama, adapted by JT Mollner from Stephen King’s early novel, hinges on the emotional dynamics among a group of teenage competitors forced to walk until only one remains. The filmmakers believe the film’s power lies not in traditional leads but in the collective experience — a choice they think is best reflected by submitting the ensemble together.
Though Hoffman’s Raymond Garraty (No. 47) and Jonsson’s Peter McVries (No. 23) may appear to anchor the narrative, the film will place all nine boys in supporting categories across the Oscars, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards. Judy Greer, who plays a pivotal adult figure in the story, will also be campaigned in supporting actress races.
Submitting the entire cast together highlights the filmmakers’ confidence in casting director Rich Delia, whose work stitching together a cohesive ensemble of emerging talent is expected to be a focal point of the campaign. The young actors deliver varied responses to the story’s brutal marathon.
With its ensemble-driven structure and bold category placements, “The Long Walk” joins the growing trend of awards hopefuls challenging traditional definitions of lead and supporting roles.
Along with the ensemble campaign, “The Long Walk” will compete in all major craft and above-the-line categories, including:
Best Picture: Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Francis Lawrence, Cameron MacConomy
Best Director: Francis Lawrence
Adapted Screenplay: Screenplay by JT Mollner
Supporting Actor: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang
Supporting Actress: Judy Greer
Best Casting: Rich Delia
Cinematography: Jo Willems
Costume Design: Heather Neale
Film Editing: Mark Yoshikawa
Makeup and Hairstyling: Doug Morrow, Zinka Tuminski
Production Design: Nicolas Lepage; Set Decoration by Scott Rossell
Sound: Supervising sound editors Jeremy Perison, Thomas Jones; production sound mixer Jeffrey Murias; re-recording mixers Jeremy Perison, Carlos Sanches
Original Score: Jeremiah Fraites