MOVIE NEWS – Never mess with a teenager—they’ll remember, and get their revenge as adults. That’s the joke at the heart of why cult director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) decided to remake The Running Man, decades after the original Stephen King adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger hit screens in 1987.

“I probably started reading Stephen King books when I was 12,” Wright told Entertainment Weekly. “He was such a great fit for me. I read The Running Man before I saw the movie, and I was stunned by how little of King’s book made it to the film. The deadly reality show was in there, but the movie really just went off in its own direction. It hit me then—wow, most of the novel was never adapted.”

That realization stuck with Wright, so much so that when he was asked on social media in 2017 what remake he’d most want to make, The Running Man was his answer. Producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men, Deadpool franchises) heard and quickly started moving the project forward.

But it was Stephen King’s support that gave the remake true momentum. Wright had been in touch with King for years, as the author is a big fan of Shaun of the Dead. Still, Wright hesitated to discuss The Running Man until there was real progress. “I didn’t want to be the boy who cried wolf. We finally sent him the script, and waited nervously. He gave us a great response, which was a huge relief and really gave us a push.”

The new Running Man centers on an out-of-work construction worker (Glen Powell) who needs money fast for his sick daughter in near-future America. He signs up for a game show, but through a series of twists, ends up as a contestant in the most-watched reality show in the country: The Running Man. The challenge? Escape across America, hunted by anyone and everyone—survive, win cash, but nobody has ever claimed the top prize, thanks to relentless professional hunters.

Unlike Schwarzenegger’s 1987 version, which was a straight-up brutal action flick, Wright promises his remake will double down on King’s signature blend of wild satire and biting humor—alongside all the action.

(The Running Man – US release: November 6, 2025)

Forrás: UIP