Paramount Pictures revealed the first trailer for The Running Man, a dystopian action movie based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel. Glen Powell headlines The Running Man, and despite the lack of footage, it’s clear that his Ben Richards will be better than the one portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Stop filming me!” Powell’s Richards screams before an explosion launches the character off a bridge and into the water. In a near-future society, Ben faces a financial crisis. He needs a doctor to save his sick daughter. Because desperate times call for desperate measures, Ben enters The Running Man, a deadly competition where contestants (“Runners”) must survive 30 days. During that timeframe, professional assassins (“Hunters”) hunt the contestants down, intending to kill them. Survive and win the grand prize, or die and get nothing.
Plus, the entire nation is watching the competition on television, and they want nothing more than to see Ben fall.
The Running Man cast includes Josh Brolin as Dan Killian, the show’s ruthless producer; Jayme Lawson as Sheila Richards, Ben’s wife; and Colman Domingo as Bobby Thompson, the host of the TV show.
Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Katy O’Brian, David Zayas, Daniel Ezra, Karl Glusman, Sean Hayes, and William H. Macy also star.
Edgar Wright helms The Running Man, his first directed feature since 2021’s Last Night in Soho. Wright penned the screenplay alongside Michael Bacall, based on the novel by King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.
This is the second time The Running Man has been adapted for the big screen. Schwarzenegger played Ben Richards in 1987’s The Running Man. Despite mixed reviews, The Running Man went on to become a cult classic. With Schwarzenegger at the height of his powers in 1987, The Running Man focused on action and spectacle over the book’s messages about social inequality and media corruption.
Powell’s Running Man appears to be more closely aligned with the novel, especially with why he enters The Running Man — to save his ill daughter. While Schwarzenegger doesn’t get enough credit for his comedic timing, Powell is much more suited for the witty dialogue and breakneck pace, two signatures of a Wright film. Powell and Wright are leaning more into the action comedy than Schwarzenegger’s more serious approach to the dystopian story. These changes by Powell and Wright should make for a better adaptation of King’s text.
The Running Man will be Powell’s biggest test to date. If Powell delivers a critical and box office hit as the top star, the sky is the limit for the 36-year-old actor.
The Running Man races into theaters on November 7, 2025.
