Director Edgar Wright recently shared Stephen King’s positive reaction to his upcoming film adaptation of The Running Man. Wright revealed that King, who originally wrote the dystopian novel under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, fully endorsed the new movie after previewing it. This remake is generating attention with Wright’s faithful yet fresh take on King’s story.
Distinct Vision from Previous Versions
Wright clarified that this film is not a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie but rather a direct interpretation of King’s book. When asked about King’s opinion, Wright cited an enthusiastic email from the author saying,
“Like it? I love it! It’s faithful enough to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to make it exciting for me.”
This endorsement is notable as King rarely expresses open approval of adaptations based on his work.
Challenges and Commitments Behind the Production
Filmed in Bulgaria and Scotland under challenging weather, Wright described The Running Man as his most demanding project to date. His goal was to blend the intense physicality of the survival game with deep human emotion. Glen Powell, portraying Ben Richards—the father and central figure who competes in the brutal televised hunt—mentioned,
“Edgar wanted it to feel brutal,”
highlighting the commitment to authenticity with Powell performing much of his own action scenes.
A Story Resonating with Today’s World
The plot follows a father entering a deadly, high-stakes contest where the prize is one billion dollars if he can survive a month-long nationwide manhunt. Wright pointed out that the themes of media manipulation and technology’s influence in the story remain strikingly relevant as we approach 2025. Paramount is distributing the film, which is scheduled for a theatrical release on November 14, 2025.
