'The Running Man' returns to the big screen; Edgar Wright aims for a fresh adaptation of Stephen King's book
Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for the highly anticipated Edgar Wright reimagining of Stephen King’s 1982 novel ‘The Running Man’ (a dystopian novel initially released under the author's pseudonym, Richard Bachman), treating fans to a first look at the film set to release later this year. The trailer suggests that the stylish, pulsating kineticism typical of Wright’s style is blended with a homage to the 1987 cult classic adaptation of the book, resulting in a promising flick that stays true to the bleak paranoia of the novel while maintaining the humour and bombastic action characteristic of the first film.
Set in a neat-future dystopian America, the film embraces the story’s core: a struggling working-class man desperate enough to put his life at risk by participating in a game requiring him to go on the run in a surveillance-heavy society, hunted not in a gladiatorial arena (as seen in the Hunger Games) but across the whole country. This adaptation stars Glen Powell in the lead role as Ben Richards, a man pushed to desperate measures after being black-listed from his trade. The trailer reveals just enough to hook the viewers, while remaining careful not to reveal plot specifics.
Celebrated for his genre-bending masterpieces like Shaun of the Dead, Wright is no stranger to blending familiar tropes with his particular style and substance. In this film, he exchanges zombies for a grim dystopian future laced with paranoia while still preserving a sense of humour and light-heartedness within it, thus imprinting his fingerprint with disorienting camera work, dynamic sequences, and enough unease to hypnotise one into watching it over and over again.
Stephen King has proven, time and again, that he deserves the title of ‘King of Horror’, never struggling to find a way to the silver screen, cementing his work in cinema’s blood-soaked canon with some of his finest work, despite varying wildly in result and tone. The Running Man is expected to be one of those adaptations that, while maintaining its originality, understands King’s spirit and text.
Though a glimpse, the trailer seems to indicate that Wright builds the film from the very roots, crafting a universe that feels stale, lived-in, and oppressively real, beginning from the desaturated, metallic, almost claustrophobic usage of colour grading. That said, spectacle is far from absent. From high-speed chases across cityscapes to ominous broadcasts flickering across giant screens, The Running Man manages to balance the high of the adrenaline chase with the creeping anxiety of classic horror with a marvellously crafted, wry dark humour, highlighting that the threat is not just physical, but systemically emotional as well.
The decision to upgrade to a more modern setting, which highlights the themes of manipulation, social decay, and the desperation of the working class — aspects which are unfortunately increasingly real — is a move that could make this adaptation particularly resonant.
The Running Man is set to release in theatres on November 7, 2025. Besides Glen Powell, the movie features a stellar cast including Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, Josh Brolin, and Jayme Lawson. The 1987 adaptation is available to stream on multiple OTT platforms like Philo, Pluto TV, Paramount+, AMC+, and MGM+.
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