Everything We Know About Edgar Wright's The Running Man Reboot

The rest of 2025 is set to be full of major wins for fans of the master of horror, Stephen King. Not only does he have a new book coming out, but after the release of The Monkey back in February, fans can also look forward to three more new adaptations of his works that will be hitting movie theaters and TV screens throughout the remainder of the year. One of these adaptations is a new take on his 1982 novel, The Running Man, a passion project that director Edgar Wright has been looking forward to making for quite a while. There has been quite a bit of well-kept secrecy surrounding the film's production, but the information that has been made available has given fans of both the book and the original film plenty to get excited over. From the casting of stars like Glen Powell and Josh Brolin to the small story details that Wright has been willing to share, it's built up quite a bit of hype for a film that has yet to release a single trailer.

Even though the original Running Man film from 1987 is considered something of a cult-classic, many fans, and even King himself, expressed disappointment over just how many creative liberties were taken, and how they practically stripped the story of its heart. If Wright's passion for the source material and overall enthusiasm for the project are anything to go by, however, audiences should brace themselves for quite a wild and fun thrill ride to be had at the movies towards the end of the year.

Edgar Wright Has Re-Teamed With a Fan-Favorite Co-Writer on the Screenplay

Fans of Scott Pilgrim vs the World Have Plenty to Look Forward To

Best Edgar Wright Films	Credit(s)	Rotten Tomatoes Score
The Sparks Brothers (2021)	Director, Producer, Self	95%
Shaun of the Dead (2004)	Director, Co-writer	92%
Baby Driver (2017)	Director, Screenwriter, Executive Producer	92%

For those who, for some reason, may have doubts about Edgar Wright's ability to handle a film like The Running Man, perhaps the news about who exactly his co-writer on the screenplay is will help alleviate any lingering fears. Almost fifteen years after they collaborated on Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Wright has re-teamed with screenwriter Michael Bacall for a whole different kind of film adaptation. There's no need to worry about the director's vision for the film veering into a similar tonal realm to the cult classic action-comedy, however. After all, The Running Man couldn't be more different from the tonal realm of Scott Pilgrim, and even actor Michael Cera has already confirmed that Wright is going in a different direction from Scott Pilgrim. Given just how much of a fan Wright was of the graphic novels, there's no doubt that his inner fanboy will have a similar effect on The Running Man's faithfulness to the novel.

Looking at how much effort Wright and Bacall put into capturing the spirit and tone of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, despite the creative liberties that were taken to accommodate the story for the medium of film, it should be safe to assume that they'll be putting that same amount of love and care into bringing the world and characters of Stephen King's book to life. If the talent behind the script still isn't enough to convince any naysayers, however, perhaps looking at its all-star ensemble of perfectly cast actors might change their minds.

The Cast is Stacked With Some Pretty Big Names

Glen Powell Will Be Backed Up by a Cast Full of Oscar-Nominated Talent and Previous Edgar Wright Collaborators

Main Cast of The Running Man	Role
Glen Powell	Ben Richards
Josh Brolin	Dan Killian
Katy O'Brian	Contestant
Daniel Ezra	Contestant
Lee Pace	Evan McCone
Jayme Lawson	Sheila Richards
Michael Cera	Bradley Throckmorton
Emilia Jones	Amelia Williams
William H. Macy	TBA
David Zayas	Richard Manuel
Sean Hayes	TBA
Colman Domingo	Bobby Thompson

Of all the news surrounding the production of The Running Man over the last year or so, the one piece of information that has gained the most amount of attention by far has been the casting of Glen Powell as its lead character, Ben Richards. Previously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original film, fans seem to be quite optimistic over Powell's casting, believing that he will be able to bring more of an identifiable everyman vibe to the character, something that was a key aspect of how King wrote him in the novel. He's not the only one making his way into the King's dystopian future, however, as he'll be backed by an impressive supporting cast of some major stars. Josh Brolin will be taking on the role of Dan Killian, the ruthless executive producer of the 'Running Man' show and the film's main antagonist, while Colman Domingo will be playing Bobby Thompson, the show's charismatic host. Powell will also be joined by Katy O'Brian and Daniel Ezra as two currently unnamed contestants, while Lee Pace will be playing Evan McCone, a hunter looking to take all three of them down.

One of the more recent casting announcements has had fans of Scott Pilgrim vs the Worldleaping for joy, as it's been confirmed that Wright will once again be teaming up with Michael Cera, this time directing him in a supporting role. Cera will be playing the role of Bradley Throckmorton, the rebel who helps Ben at one point along his treacherous journey. Also serving as an ally to Richards will be William H. Macy, playing a similar kind of rebel role whose name has yet to be revealed. Actress Jayme Lawson, who can be seen in Ryan Coogler's upcoming horror film, Sinners, is also set to appear in the film, playing the role of Ben's wife, Sheila Richards. The inclusion of this character is just one of the many ways in which Wright's take on the film is a more respectful adaptation of the book.

The New Film Will Be Much More Faithful to the Stephen King Novel

Wright Is Looking To Please the Fans of the Book In Ways the Original Film Couldn't

With the film almost seven months away from its release date, Wright has surprisingly shared very little information surrounding it. The one thing he hasn't shied away from mentioning, however, is just how much more faithful his take on King's novel will be compared to the 1987 original. It's not a remake, but rather an attempt to right the wrongs of the numerous creative liberties that were taken with the Schwarzenegger version. The original film depicted the character of Ben Richards as a former police captain who is forced to submit as a contestant as punishment for his insubordination. Even though these changes to the character, as well as the themes of the story, may have worked as a Schwarzenegger vehicle, it's quite a far cry from how the character and the 'Running Man' game show are portrayed in the book.

The number of changes to the story that the original film made weren't just disappointing for fans of the book, but it's one of the few adaptations of King's works that the author himself has openly expressed his own displeasure with. Given the inclusion of Richards' wife in the story, not only is Powell sure to play him as the desperate unemployed family man that King originally wrote, but it's also sure to tap into the core themes that the novel had as well. In an interview with Empire Magazine, Wright showed his love for King's novel by giving a brief descriptive example of just how different it would be from the original film, calling it an "intense, dangerous road movie."

One of the things about the book that I loved was the fact that Ben Richards is out in the world on his own, so it’s like the deadliest game of hide-and-seek...It does feel like making a road movie in a lot of ways: a very intense, dangerous road movie. Ben is moving through different environments and meeting different people as he tries to survive 30 days out in the wild.

With Filming Only Recently Being Wrapped Up, The Running Man is Still in Post-Production

While It's Still Being Worked On, Some Bits of Footage Were Shown at Cinemacon

For anyone wondering as to why a trailer for The Running Man has yet to be put out, there's a perfectly simple explanation behind it. The film is still currently in post-production, as the filming stages have only recently wrapped. In a post that Edgar Wright shared on his Instagram account, the director confirmed that filming officially wrapped up on March 28. Seeing how Wright and his team are still working on the final edit, including additional visual effects as well as its musical score, it might be a few more months before an official trailer or even a simple teaser is released to the public. Those who were in attendance at this year's Cinemacon, however, were lucky enough to get an early preview before anyone else.

According to The Wrap, Wright, Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, and Colman Domingo took to the Cinemacon main stage to present a brief glimpse of the film, which featured footage of Domingo on the game show set, along with Powell running away from pursuing hunters. In the meantime, while Wright and his editing team continue to work on the film until it reaches its final stage of completion, as agonizing as it may be, the rest of the movie-going public will just have to wait and see what they have in store for them over the next few months.

When Will The Running Man Be Released?

The Film is Set to Hit Theaters Just in Time For the Holiday Season

Every Stephen King Adaptation Releasing in 2025	Release Date	Medium	Director/Showrunner
The Monkey	February 21	Theatrical Film	Osgood Perkins
The Life of Chuck	May 31	Theatrical Film	Mike Flanagan
IT: Welcome to Derry	TBA	Television Series	Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane
The Running Man	November 7	Theatrical Film	Edgar Wright

Even though Paramount has yet to release a teaser trailer, poster, or really any kind of promotional material teasing the film's release, audiences can rest assured that it will be hitting theaters much sooner rather than later. For those who enjoy a night out at the movies during the holiday season, the film will be arriving just in time for the beginning of it. Set to be released on November 7, the film will be facing some pretty stiff competition the week of its release. Not only will it be premiering alongside Predator: Badlands, but it will be going up against such films from October as Tron: Ares, The Black Phone 2, as well as those premiering in the following weeks of November, like Wicked: For Good, Now You See Me 3, and Zootopia 2. For die-hard Stephen King fans, there's no doubt that they'll be the first ones in the theater on opening week, and hopefully any upcoming promotional material will be enough to garner the interest of casual moviegoers as well.

The Running Man is something that Edgar Wright has been looking forward to making for quite a while. Luckily, for all the fans of the book who have been waiting decades to see a more faithful take on it, they won't have to wait much longer.