Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, starring Glen Powell as Ben Richards, was released in theaters on November 14, 2025. It adapts Stephen King’s 1982 novel—originally published under the name Richard Bachman—and is not, in Wright’s description, a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. Wright and Michael Bacall wrote the new adaptation.
What is Edgar Wright’s The Running Man about?
Powell plays Ben Richards, a contestant in a deadly reality show. Paramount’s synopsis says contestants must survive for 30 days while professional assassins hunt them and their movements are broadcast. King’s official film page describes a game in which Richards can go anywhere in the world as “hunters” pursue him. King’s new-release page adds that Richards is driven to compete for money to help his gravely ill daughter. Paramount Global Content’s film listing and King’s official film page provide those details.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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The Running Man | $11.11 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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The Running Man: A Novel by Stephen King(2016-04-19) | $17.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Running Man (Arabic Edition) | $12.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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The Bachman Books | $25.02 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Science of Stephen King: The Truth Behind Pennywise, Jack Torrance, Carrie, Cujo, and More Iconic... | $14.00 | Buy on Amazon |
The sources disagree on the film’s runtime: Paramount lists 120 minutes, while the Associated Press review reports 133 minutes. The AP also reports an R rating for strong violence, some gore and language. Because the listings conflict, check the specific theatrical or home-viewing version rather than assuming one runtime applies everywhere. The AP review gives its runtime and rating; Paramount’s listing gives its own runtime.
Is the Glen Powell film a remake of the 1987 movie?
Wright says it is a new adaptation of King’s novel, not a remake of the 1987 film. In an interview with TheWrap, he said, “I don’t really consider it a remake,” explaining that it draws on the same source material. Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall said they wanted to be more faithful to selected aspects of the book, including keeping the audience with Richards’ point of view. That describes their approach; it does not mean the film reproduces every part of the novel. TheWrap’s interview with Wright reports the distinction and the point-of-view intention.
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How it relates to the novel and the 1987 film
King’s 1982 novel, first published under the pen name Richard Bachman, imagines a global hunt. The 1987 film, directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, retained the deadly-game-show premise but was a loose adaptation, according to the BFI interview with King and Wright. Wright said he pursued the material because he felt the earlier film left much of the book unused. BFI’s interview with King and Wright discusses the novel, the earlier film and Wright’s interest in returning to the source.
The useful distinction is not simply that one film is “faithful” and the other is not. Wright’s stated focus for the 2025 adaptation included Richards’ point of view and parts of the novel not used in the earlier film. The two films can therefore be compared by what story material they retain, how they keep the audience with Richards, how they portray the show’s media machinery and how they handle tone. Those are points of comparison, not a claim that the newer film is wholly faithful to the book.
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Was The Running Man book set in 2025?
Yes. King’s novel is set in 2025, the same year the new film was released. King recalled that when he wrote it, “2025 just seemed so far in the future that I couldn’t even grasp it in my mind.” The overlap is a coincidence of the book’s imagined date and the film’s release year—not confirmation that the film takes place in 2025. Wright told BFI, “In the movie, we don’t say what year it is.” The BFI interview includes both remarks.
What does the story say about television and media?
The contest’s broadcast is central to the premise: the hunt is entertainment, and Richards’ movements are made public. In the BFI conversation, King described the book’s media subtext with a warning: “Don’t necessarily trust. Think a little bit about what this media is doing to you. Never mind if its entertaining you. What’s it doing to you and what is it preparing you for?” That is King discussing the novel’s ideas in the interview, not a line of dialogue from the film. Wright’s interest in the source’s broader television network is also part of the BFI discussion.
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Release and credits
The Running Man premiered theatrically on November 14, 2025, according to Paramount and King’s official film page. Edgar Wright directed and co-wrote the film with Michael Bacall; Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards. King’s film page identifies the director, writers and distributor, while Paramount Global Content lists the theatrical premiere.
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