As Stephen King fans await the release of the new adaptation of his dystopian novel The Running Man, director Edgar Wright and star Glen Powell have addressed the main plot and how it reflects modern times. In The Running Man, a future society is obsessed with reality television, and the most popular show follows contestants fighting for their lives. A competitor by the name of Ben Richards is forced to enter the game because of financial hardship. In order to win $1 billion, he must do everything it takes to stay alive for 30 days.
The creative duo behind The Running Man recently spoke to Den of Geek about how King’s original story was able to foresee today’s TV landscape. The source material was published in 1982, but the novel takes place in a dystopian future set in 2025, with the United States living under the rule of a totalitarian government that “distracts” the population with extremely violent content. While the book is based on fiction, Powell reflects on how the source material and the modern adaptation feel “timely”:
“Even since we shot the movie, it has become more and more timely. It is unbelievable how Stephen King saw the future of 2025, the year that we are in right now, and how eerie it is to see where we are living and what it looks like, and how similar it is to all the events that are happening in this book.
“This movie is obviously just cinematic escapism, and it’s fun and people are going to absolutely see it as just a blast of a movie experience, but what is incredibly fun is watching Stephen King the clairvoyant, and how we get to portray that, because it comments on a lot of things happening in the world.”
Wright also commented on Powell’s point, saying, “What’s crazy about the book is that it’s a pretty chilling prediction of where we’re at.” The director continues: “And that in itself is quite disturbing, that things are presented in a very kind of blunt way. I’m really happy with how it works in the movie because it doesn’t seem so fanciful, and that’s what’s disturbing about it.” Wright also made the comparison between the story’s portrayal of entertainment television and real-life tabloid shows:
“There has obviously been reality TV or forms of it going back to when the book was written, but I think since the book was written, there is so much TV that has swam in the same waters. And I think, also, people now are much more aware of how a TV show gets made and how manipulative reality TV is, and also how many lives are ruined in the process. Whether it’s Jerry Springer or Sally Jesse Raphael, or even American Idol or X Factor, or those other shows, they play fast and loose with the contestants’ lives and mental health. There have been lots of stories like that that bring the book into chilling relief.”
When Will Stephen King’s ‘The Running Man’ Be Released?
Glen Powell as Ben Richards in The Running ManParamount Pictures
After a few shifts in the schedule, the Paramount Pictures production of The Running Man is set to premiere exclusively in theaters on November 14, 2025. The movie will be released in regular formats, as well as IMAX, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema. There is still no date for the VOD release or subscription-based streaming.
The cast of The Running Man features Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. Read the official plot synopsis:
In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
You can view the original article HERE.
