The North American release of Edgar Wright's remake of The Running Man is just around the corner, and an advanced screening of the film was recently held on the Paramount lot, which reportedly garnered rave reviews from directors and critics alike.
A new TV spot has also been recently released, which definitely conveys the breadth of action and stuntwork that will be on display from Glen Powell (Twister, Top Gun: Maverick) as the film's lead.
A "who's who" list of directors were in attendance at the screening, but the filmmaking duo of Phil Lord & Christopher Miller went out of their way to praise the film on X/Twitter.
The 1987 sci-fi action film, loosely based on Stephen King’s novel, starred iconic action star Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a wrongly accused ex-cop forced into a deadly televised competition reminiscent of American Gladiator.
Given Schwarzenegger's physique, the movie reimagined King’s protagonist as a muscular action hero battling assassins for a chance at freedom and his daughter’s survival.
However, the upcoming remake from Edgar Wright and Glen Powell aims to stick closer to King’s original vision. This new adaptation will portray Richards not as a hardened fighter, but as a desperate, everyman character pushed to extremes in a dystopian society that turns suffering into entertainment.
The official synopsis for the film reads, "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."
In addition to Powell, the remake also stars Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk), Michael Cera, (Scot Pilgrim vs the World), Josh Brolin (Dune: Part Two, Avengers: Infinity War), Emilia Jones (Locke & Key), Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire, Foundation), William H. Macy (Shameless))and Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding).
Brolin is set to play a producer of the show, with Domingo playing the show's host, and Pace playing one of the fiendish hunters tasked with hunting down the game's contestants.
Cera is reportedly playing a rebel that's out to overthrow the government and finds himself assisting Powell's lead character.
Katy O'Brian, Daniel Ezra, and Karl Glusman are also set to appear in supporting roles.
The Running Man is scheduled to be theatrically released on November 14, 2025.