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) m

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