An adaptation of Stephen Kings The Long Walk will finally be strolling into theaters this fall.

During its presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday morning, Lionsgate confirmed that the Francis Lawrence-directed film will be released wide on Sept. 12. The thriller stars Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Roman Griffin Davis, Jordan Gonzalez and Josh Hamilton with Judy Greer and Mark Hamill.

Though it is not the first King book to be published, the novel is notable in that it is reportedly the first he ever wrote, while a student at the University of Main. Published under his pen name Richard Bachman, The Long Walk is described as a dystopian thriller centering on the contestants of a grueling and vicious annual walking contest that requires 100 boys to keep a certain pace without stopping. If they do, they receive a warning. If it happens again, they are eliminated and killed. Strange Darling filmmaker JT Mollner adapted the work. Officially, the studio describes the film like this: An intense, chilling, and emotional thriller that challenges audiences to confront a haunting question: how far could you go? In dropping the first look, Lionsgate welcomed Lawrence, Jonsson and Hamill to the Colosseum stage to do the honors in revealing the first look at the film to huge cheers and chat up their collaboration.

Lawrence said he first read the novel 20 years ago and wanted to make it but couldnt get the rights. Luckily nobody made it, he said, adding that his producer Roy Lee stayed on the case and brought it back to him once the rights became available. Lawrence said its perhaps his favorite King novel as it delivers a very interesting conceit. You can imagine yourself in the shoes of one of the boys.

Lawrence added that the heart of the film, to him, is the young men, their brotherhood and camaraderie and the love that forms on the walk. Its a how can we hold each other up, he said. Jonsson said that the shooting took a physical toll on the actors as they walked about 10-15 miles each day during the grueling shoot.

For Hamill, the role marked an opportunity to play against type as one of the most iconic screen heroes as he plays the antagonist in the film. None of the actors wanted to meet me, he quipped of playing the villain. He said that reading the screenplay hit him like a ton of bricks as its so brual in how it unfolds. The premise alone is nightmare-inducing but its good to get out of your comfort zone.

Hamill wore sunglasses during his appearance on stage, an accessories choice that was an homage to his character in the film who sports aviators. Im not trying to pull a Jack Nicholson, he joked. Of stepping outside the hero zone, Hamill said, If you cant be the hero, theres nothing better than being the villain. If you get booed and people hate your guts, then youve done your job. Audiences should get prepared as Hamill also plays the archenemesis in the forthcoming Spongebob Squarepants film. Three-year-olds are going to hate my guts, he said to generous laughter.

Lawrence has a long and successful history with Lionsgate after having directed The Hunger Games franchise films Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2, and the most recent The Ballad of Songbirds Snakes. Lionsgate makde The Long Walk with Media Capital Technologies, Vertigo Entertainment and Lawrences about:blank production. Producers on it are Lawrence, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider and Cameron MacConomy.

The Long Walk has had a long road to the screen. It previously was set up at New Line under a different creative team. Lawrence has eyed the book since his days working on 2007s I Am Legend, when it crossed his desk.

I wanted to do it, but Frank Darabont actually scooped up the rights, he told Collider earlier this year. People have tried to make it over the years, and never could. We just kind of cracked it; I worked with JT Mollner, who did Strange Darling. He wrote a great draft, and it came together really quickly.

CinemaCon, the annual gathering of cinema owners and Hollywood studios, is hosted in Las Vegas by the newly rebranded Cinema United, which for decades was known as the National Association of Theatre Owners. This years edition runs from March 31 to April 3.