Multi-talented director Edgar Wright is remaking Stephen King’s The Running Man, and there are already exciting updates about the project. Originally written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, King’s The Running Man is set in a dystopian future where a man participates in a deadly game show in order to win money to support his family. The novel served as a precursor to later popular fiction like Battle Royal and The Hunger Games and is generally considered one of King’s more underappreciated minor works.
Naturally, Hollywood came calling to adapt the book in 1987 and screen icon Arnold Schwarzenegger was tapped to play the lead role of Ben Richards. Stephen King wasn’t too fond of the adaptation, and the movie received mixed reviews along with a mildly disappointing box office performance (via Box Office Mojo). However, modern reassessments of the film have been more positive, and Scott Pilgrim vs the World director Edgar Wright has specifically mentioned The Running Man as the film he would most like to remake. After years of silence, the project is moving forward.
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Why The Running Man Is The WEIRDEST Stephen King Adaptation
The Running Man is the weirdest Stephen King adaptation, with lots of Arnold Schwarzenegger quips, and different from the bleak Richard Bachman novel.
The Running Man Remake Latest News
The Release Date Is Moved
Though the film had long been scheduled for a late November 2025 release, the latest news confirms that the Running Man remake has moved its release date. Hoping to avoid the stiff competition presented by the upcoming Wicked: For Good (the second half of the Wicked duology), The Running Man will now arrive theatrically on November 7, 2025. The Stephen King remake was set to go head-to-head on November 21, 2025, but has conceded the spot in favor of a slightly earlier release.
The Running Man Remake Release Date
The Running Man Returns In November 2025
Despite a slew of promising updates throughout the years, it wasn’t until October 2024 that The Running Man remake finally scored a release date. Originally, the Stephen King film was scheduled to arrive on November 21, 2025, but this put it head-to-head with the blockbuster Wicked: For Good. Now, it has been rescheduled to November 7, 2025, a date that will allow it to flourish financially without such stiff competition.
This date comes a year or so after the film was slated to begin filming, meaning it will likely have no issues keeping on track and arriving on time. What remains to be seen is if the remake will change its release date again at any point in the coming year, especially if more big-budget movies start getting November 2025 release dates.
The original Running Man premiered on November 13, 1987.
The Running Man Remake Cast
Glen Powell Will Star In The Stephen King Remake
Though the cast list is rather scant now, the addition of Powell likely means other cast members will be added soon, and it will likely be a star-studded affair if Edgar Wright’s previous works are any indication.
The first name attached to the cast of The Running Man was Glen Powell. The announcement of Powell’s casting came at CinemaCon in April 2024, and he will star in the lead role of Ben Richards, previously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Joining Powell is All American star Daniel Ezra in an unknown role. Likewise, Civil War‘s Karl Glusman has been cast. Though the cast list is rather scant now, the addition of Powell likely means other cast members will be added soon, and it will likely be a star-studded affair if Edgar Wright’s previous works are any indication.
Josh Brolin was added to the cast in October 2024, and he will be playing a villain named Dan Killian. It was specified upon announcement that Brolin would play the ruthless producer of the game show, and not the host character originally played by Richard Dawson in the 1987 film. Lee Pace (The Hobbit) has joined the movie as one of the deadly hunters, Evan McCone, who attempts to track and kill Powell’s Ben Richards. Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs The World) will reunite with director Edgar Wright when he plays a rebel named Bradley Throckmorton.
Jayme Lawson (The Batman) will appear as Richards’ wife, Sheila, while Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) plays an as-yet-unnamed fellow contestant. Emilia Jones (CODA) is set to play Amelia, a woman taken hostage by Ben Richards during the course of the game, and William H. Macy (Shameless) plays an ally to Ben’s cause. David Zayas (Dexter) and Sean Hayes (Will and Grace) play unknown roles.
The cast of The Running Man remake includes:
|
Actor |
Running Man Role |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Glen Powell |
Ben Richards |
 |
|
Josh Brolin |
Dan Killian |
 |
|
Lee Pace |
Evan McCone |
 |
|
Katy O’Brian |
Unknown |
 |
|
Daniel Ezra |
Unknown |
 |
|
Karl Glusman |
Unknown |
 |
|
Jayme Lawson |
Sheila Richards |
 |
|
Michael Cera |
Bradley Throckmorton |
 |
|
Emilia Jones |
Amelia Williams |
 |
|
William H. Macy |
Unknown |
 |
|
David Zayas |
Unknown |
 |
|
Sean Hayes |
Unknown |
 |
The Running Man Remake Story
A Desperate Man Competes On A Deadly Game Show
| Recent Stephen King Movies | Release Year | Rotten Tomatoes Score |
|---|---|---|
| Firestarter | 2022 | 11% |
| Mr. Harrigan’s Phone | 2022 | 45% |
| The Boogeyman | 2023 | 61% |
| The Life of Chuck | 2024 | 84% |
| Salem’s Lot | 2024 | 53% |
Though the format of Stephen King’s story is familiar in the 21st century, he was actually at the forefront of the genre when he wrote The Running Man. If the film sticks to the novel closely, it will see a desperate man named Ben Richards competing in a deadly game show to win money to support his family. The most important aspect of King’s story is its biting satire of 1980s culture, and Edgar Wright is the perfect choice to bring the themes into the modern day.
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, The Running Man is a sci-fi action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Captain Ben Richards, a former cop who’s forced to compete in a deadly game show where criminals fight for their lives. The 1987 movie is based on a Stephen King novel under his pen name Richard Bachman.
- Director
-
Paul Michael Glaser
- Release Date
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November 13, 1987
- Writers
-
Steven E. de Souza
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Budget
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$27 million
