The Only Rundown You Need Before The Running Man

A new adaptation of Stephen King's "The Running Man" is on its way courtesy of Edgar Wright, who set out to make a film that's "more faithful to the book" than the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Glen Powell steps into the lead role of Ben Richards, who takes part in a twisted reality TV show where contestants must evade professional assassins while on the run. If you need a refresher on the history of "The Running Man," check out the above video, which will bring you up to speed ahead of Wright's highly-anticipated film.

Wright co-penned the script for his version of "The Running Man" with Michael Bacall, who he also wrote "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" with. According to Wright, it's a property he's been interested in since he read the book (which King published under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman) as a teenager. "When I saw the Arnold Schwarzenegger version, I was very aware that it was very loosely based on the book," Wright said at New York Comic Con. "I always felt that there was a whole part of the story that hadn't been adapted."

Despite Wright's reservations about 1987's "The Running Man" (which takes place in the then-future year of 2019), it's remembered fondly by many. It's on Looper's list of the best cyberpunk movies of all time for a reason – Paul Michael Glaser's film is workmanlike but endlessly entertaining. It did moderately well critically and commercially and has become a beloved cult classic in the years since, so Wright will need to bring his A-game if he wants to top it.

In Edgar Wright's version of "The Running Man," Ben Richards is a desperate working-class father with a sick daughter rather than an innocent officer convicted for a crime he didn't commit. In the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, the "runners" are incarcerated criminals who are trying to earn their freedom, while Wright's film has them playing for a cash prize. Glen Powell's version of Richards will be distinct from Schwarzenegger's, but he still felt the need to approach Arnie after he was cast — and he was blown away by how helpful he was. "He made that character iconic, so I wanted to make sure I got his blessing," Powell told Den of Geek at New York Comic Con. "He was so supportive of our movie. He really talked about the process of how they made that movie, how we can kind of improve, why he loved the book so much."

Schwarzenegger clearly approves of Powell, and he's not the only person who is happy with the casting: Stephen King himself signed off on it. Powell explained how that played out during his appearance at NYCC, revealing that Wright offered him the role with the caveat that King agreed. "I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch 'Hit Man' and hope that I still had the role in the morning," he said (via People). "It's terrible." Fortunately for Powell, King loved the film, and the part was officially his. You can see him in action as Richards when "The Running Man" hits theaters on November 14, 2025. Check out Looper's rundown video above so you know what's what when the film drops.