Another Stephen King adaptation coming this year, apart from The Long Walk (releasing on September 12, 2025), The Running Man is due in November. It seems the Stephen King adaptation trend is on a filming streak!
Glen Powell is The Running Man who says ‘Stop filming me’ in the new Paramount Pictures film- and the trailer has just been released.
Plot details of The Running Man (2025)
The Running Man is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, published in 1982 under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. It is the 1987 film remake, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The film is set in a dystopian society where Glen Powell plays Ben Richards, the working-class protagonist. He is desperate to save his sick daughter, and he needs money for it.
He is left with no choice but to enter a 30-day deadly game show, a broadcast survival competition. It is mainly for the bloodthirsty public who like watching runners vs. hunters. With each passing day, the survivor gets closer to a greater cash reward.
As Ben keeps on surviving one day after another, he starts to become a fan favorite underdog, defying the system. His survival for money and family comes with his wits against the hunters and confronting the nation that is addicted to watching him.
The action thriller film is a social commentary on media manipulation that is now vigorously making use of desperation and sacrifice for the sake of public spectacle. The film is a system critique with a focus on themes like rebellion and resistance.
Here’s the trailer:
Director’s vision for the film
Edgar Wright, who has previously given us Last Night in Soho (2021), wants to present a fresh take on the dystopian thriller. He wants to demonstrate that Stephen King and the director of the original 1987 film, Paul Michael Glaser, were aware of the fact that there would be a time when people would become hooked on watching content where losers would be killed.
The Long Walk is another example of Stephen King’s story. It seems that Stephen King was ahead of his time when he wrote these stories, as he knew the reality TV’s dark side would be exposed one day. The societal control brings out different colors of human psychology and the desperate need for survival, even if money is the biggest motivation.
While talking to Entertainment Weekly, Wright told,
“I probably started reading Stephen King books when I was 12. He was sort of my author. I actually read The Running Man before I saw the 1987 film.” [Source]
He explained that when he saw the 1987 film, he realized that most of the novel wasn’t adapted in reality. Most part of the novel’s story is about the contestants running out in the real world, while the 1987 film showed only what was going on in the game show.
Wright had this remake on his mind for quite a long time, when finally, Simon Kinberg, producer of the X-Men and Deadpool franchises, contacted him to see if he was still interested in working on the remake. How could Wright say ‘no’?!
With Wright’s stylized direction and energetic filmmaking, we can expect fast-paced storytelling and strong visuals incorporated in the film. It is also very evident from the trailer that Ben is constantly on the run, besides appearing to be a cynic for the public when he showed his middle finger to the camera.
Wright surely wants to stay true to King’s novel source material, but with a more action-oriented approach. With new elements, which were absent in the film, a possible character development will be displayed.
How did Wright know Glen Powell is The Running Man?
Powell has been on Wright’s mind since Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Wright knew Powell had never played any superhero role and did not even play a hardcore action hero before. The main idea to get anyone for The Running Man’s role was to find a “regular guy” and “not a trained killer”, and certainly, Powell had that “everyman quality” that Wright felt fit perfectly right with the role’s requirements. One man running, everyone else watching.
In the novel, the character is a simple construction worker and not a professional runner who has to jump off the bridge during explosions and duck the firing bullets from all sides. Powell’s physical training mattered the most in this regard.
Now comes the literal ‘running man’ himself, the one and only hero of the Mission: Impossible franchise- Tom Cruise. Tom guided him over the phone for two hours, Powell revealed. Powell took notes from Tom about how he physically performs at his peak.
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When is The Running Man (2025) releasing?
The Running Man is slated for a theatrical release by Paramount Pictures on November 7, 2025.
Genre: Dystopian sci-fi, action, thriller, adventure, one-person army action
Cast: Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Michael Cera
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Michael Bacall, Stephen King, Edgar Wright
Producers: Edgar Wright, Nira Park, Audrey Chon, Simon Kinberg
Release date: November 7, 2025
Movie runtime: – –
Does this remake look better than the original? What are your thoughts?
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like Screen Anarchy, High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
She brings a personal, insightful approach to every story—whether she’s analyzing the emotional layers of a film or giving her take on trending celebrity headlines. Madiha’s writing style is known for being authentic, well-researched, and reader-focused.
When she’s not writing, she’s fully immersed in the world of entertainment—watching new releases, revisiting classics, exploring behind-the-scenes content, or reading books that fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives her work and helps her stay connected to what matters most in the industry.
Madiha believes great stories start conversations, challenge perspectives, and stay with us long after the credits roll. Through her writing, she continues to share those stories with clarity, depth, and heart.
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