The Long Walk Box Office: Stephen King Adaptation Scores 385% Higher Daily Domestic Earnings Than Weapons, Nears $20M Worldwide

The Long Walk, Stephen King’s dystopian thriller directed by Francis Lawrence, struggles at the box office despite critical acclaim and strong theatre presence.

- September 20, 2025 | 3:27 PM IST

The Long Walk, a dystopian survival thriller based on Stephen King’s novel, hit theatres on September 12, and the first week has already shown troubling signs at the box office. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the movie managed an impressive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, yet that critical acclaim has not been reflected in audience turnout or earnings.

The Long Walk Box Office: Modest Domestic Opening & Daily Earnings Drop

The film opened domestically with a modest $4.7 million, per Box Office Mojo. For the first few days, it managed to consistently earn around $1 million daily, but by Thursday, earnings dropped below that mark, reaching approximately $895K.

The Long Walk Box Office Summary

North America – $16.4m
International – $2.8m
Worldwide– $19.2m

With a production budget of $20 million, the movie is still trying to recoup costs, and reaching the break-even point of around $50 million remains a distant goal. The Long Walk has collected about $19.2 million worldwide, nearing the $20 million mark. The weekend may bring in a few more million, but even then, hitting the full budget remains a long shot.

The Long Walk’s Poor International Performance Affects Overall Box Office

A major reason for the disappointing performance is the movie’s weak reception in international markets. Despite this, The Long Walk did manage to outperform the domestic daily earnings of Weapons on Thursday, September 18, with a 385% higher collection, earning $895K. The horror movie Weapons brought in around $184K on the same day, highlighting The Long Walk’s relatively stronger performance. Still, this small advantage is unlikely to significantly shift the overall box office trajectory.

As the weekend begins, the film will aim to generate a couple of million more to get closer to covering its production costs. Even with modest gains, it may still fall short by about $30 million from breaking even. The main positive factor is the wide theatre count, which remains close to 3,000 screens. If audience interest picks up, this extensive distribution could help the movie climb closer to the $50 million target.

For now, The Long Walk remains a film praised by critics but struggling to resonate with a larger audience. It relies on steady weekend attendance and strong theatre presence to make any meaningful recovery. The path ahead is challenging, and even small shifts in daily earnings will determine whether it can approach its financial targets.