Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 action film The Running Man is based on a 1982 Stephen King story, but only loosely. The names are the same and the idea of a reality show where people are hunted and killed is there, but the film version is widely different beyond that. The upcoming remake, from director Edgar Wright and star Glen Powell, won’t be.
“I’ve been an Edgar Wright fan my whole life,” Powell told USA Today. “And talking to him about Running Man, what’s been really incredible is his take on it. It’s very much not the original Schwarzenegger flick, it’s much more grounded in the Stephen King version.”
King’s version of The Running Man is much bigger that the original film. King’s main character isn’t framed like in the movie. He’s just a guy who needs money. And the competition doesn’t take place with a live studio audience in some large, undefined arena. It takes place all over the world with prize money given depending how long you can survive. That means it’s got a bit more of the disguise element of Powell’s excellent new movie Hit Man than the Schwarzenegger film, as well as a broader scope. And, if the Wright version will be more like that, it’s intriguing and encouraging. It’s a good way to make the two films distinct, too, with one being a straight reality show and the other more of a worldwide manhunt.
And while the King inspiration level may be different, another element probably won’t be. You can almost guarantee Wright’s film will also have his star hunted by deadly assassins. In the original film, they were played by the likes of athletes turned actors Jesse Ventura and Jim Brown, and while Powell wouldn’t confirm if Wright was going in the same direction, he did have a few good ideas just in case.
“I feel like J.J. Watt wants an acting career,” Powell said of the retired NFL defender. “And then on the wrestling side, I think we bring in maybe [UFC and WWE champion] Ronda Rousey. I haven’t thought about who I want to face off with. It’s a survival story, the movie is really fun, but they’re going to throw everything they got at me.”
Wright and Powell’s Running Man does not yet have a release date, which means the odds of it being released in 2025, the date the King novel was set, are looking slimmer by that minute. Powell can currently be seen in Hit Man (which you can and should stream on Netflix cause it’s great) and will soon be seen in Twisters, out July 19.
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