MOVIE NEWS – Back in 1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Running Man was a solid hit about a hero trapped in a lethal reality show doing everything he can to avoid being killed. The new Running Man is also based on Stephen King’s work, but that is where the key similarities end. Without spoilers, Gizmodo rounded up seven fundamental differences between the two films.

The arena. Schwarzenegger runs for his life in a purpose-built underground complex spanning 400 city blocks, while his successor, Glen Powell, can roam the entire world, with the catch that anyone beyond the assigned killers can also take him out.

The villains. In the 1987 version, juiced-up pro wrestlers chase the hero. In the new take, the hunters resemble special-ops commandos who execute with cold precision, no circus showboating.

The hero’s motivation. This may be the biggest shift. In the earlier film, Schwarzenegger is accused of mass murder after, as a military helicopter pilot, he refuses to fire on protesters, then the massacre is pinned on him, and he is forced into the show as a scapegoat. The new hero enters to win prize money to treat his gravely ill daughter.

The romance. The new hero is a family man who loves his little girl and his wife. In the earlier version, Schwarzenegger is single and finds a comrade-in-arms in a fierce, attractive woman (Maria Conchita Alonso), but they dispatch enemies so quickly that there’s no time to develop a love story.

The prize. Schwarzenegger is promised his freedom if he wins, while his successor could claim USD 1 billion if the showrunners meant their promise for even a moment.

The length of the run. Schwarzenegger has to survive three hours in the arena. His successor’s horizon is wider, with thirty days to elude capture across the globe.

The audience. Arnie runs in a confined space for a short span, so his audience can only cheer or jeer from afar. The new runner’s relationship with viewers is interactive, since enthusiastic TV watchers also want to kill him, which Gizmodo says makes the story more exciting and realistic.

As a fun aside, Gizmodo notes the first Running Man featured a former bodybuilder (Arnie) and a former pro wrestler (Jesse Ventura, who plays one of the killers), and both later became governors, the former in California and the latter in Minnesota. It remains to be seen whether the new Running Man is a similar springboard for its cast.

(The Running Man – Hungary release: November 13, 2025.)

Source: UIP Dunafilm