There have been a plethora of Stephen King adaptations released over the years, which makes what The Long Walk pulled off quite impressive. At one point, it had the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of any Stephen King movie, and though that figure has dropped a few percentage points now that more reviews have come in, The Long Walk still stands among some of the most acclaimed King adaptations of all time. Its 90% critics score is in the same ballpark as classics such as Stand By Me, Misery, and The Shawshank Redemption. That word of mouth arguably should have given The Long Walk a boost at the box office, but it fell short of another 2025 King adaptation in its opening weekend.

The Long Walk earned $11.5 million domestically over its first three days, which was good enough for a fourth-place finish. It couldn’t top the debut of The Monkey, the King adaptation that opened with roughly $14 million back in February. That outcome is somewhat surprising, since The Long Walk earned better reviews; The Monkey is also Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but with a 77% score.

Why The Long Walk Couldn’t Beat The Monkey At the Box Office

The Long Walk might have fared better if it had a different release window. Early September isn’t always a busy time at the box office, but this year was a notable exception. The Conjuring: Last Rites shattered records in its opening weekend, and this past weekend saw the anime film Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle set marks of its own. Combine that with Weapons‘ dominant box office run throughout August, there’s been a lot of options for moviegoers to choose from — many of them more crowd-pleasing than The Long Walk, which has a bleak, dystopian premise and tone.

As a late February release, The Monkey faced far less substantial competition. It managed to come in second place during its opening weekend, behind only the Marvel film Captain America: Brave New World (which was hit with a massive second weekend drop amidst its mixed reception). The Monkey was able to take advantage of a soft marketplace. With a $39.7 million domestic total, the film clearly wasn’t a huge draw, but it stood out during a time when there weren’t many other high-profile titles playing. The Long Walk came out on the heels of two hit horror/thriller movies and got a bit overshadowed.

Budgeted at $20 million, there’s still a good chance The Long Walk can turn a profit (especially once worldwide box office figures and other revenue streams are factored in), but it will still be interesting to see how it holds over the remainder of its run. The horror marketplace is going to get even more crowded this coming weekend with the release of Him. The sports/thriller hybrid isn’t expected to post huge numbers, but it’s still something that will take away business from The Long Walk. In a perfect world, The Long Walk‘s critical reception would encourage people to check it out and help it stick around, but a fourth-place finish in the first weekend is a sign there isn’t much interest.

History has proven a Stephen King adaptation doesn’t need to break box office records to be remembered as a great film. The Shawshank Redemption infamously tanked at the box office, but is now one of the most popular films of all time after gaining a passionate following thanks to home media. Even if The Long Walk barely turns a profit, it could follow suit. Those who have seen it consider it one of the best King adaptations and one of the stronger films of the year, buzz that could draw more people to it at a later date. In this new post-COVID theatrical landscape, many movies find larger audiences on streaming.