Powell stars in Wright’s brutal ‘Running Man’ reboot

Glen Powell Stars in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Reboot

Glen Powell’s rise as Hollywood’s next leading man faces its biggest test yet in Edgar Wright’s highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Running Man,” set for release November 14, 2025. The film promises to deliver a more faithful, brutal take on King’s 1982 dystopian novel than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campy 1987 version.

King’s Personal Seal of Approval

Powell’s casting came only after passing an unusual audition: securing Stephen King’s personal approval. At New York Comic Con on October 20, Powell revealed that Wright offered him the lead role of Ben Richards, but with a crucial caveat. “Edgar presented me with this film, and I immediately said, ‘Yes.’ I was all in… Then later that evening, [Edgar mentioned], ‘By the way, you need to get Stephen King’s approval. He’s going to view ‘Hit Man’ tonight,'” Powell recounted.variety

The actor endured a nerve-wracking night waiting for King’s verdict on his performance in Richard Linklater’s crime comedy. Fortunately, King “loved” the film, clearing the way for Powell’s casting. Wright faced similar scrutiny when submitting his screenplay co-written with Michael Bacall, describing it as “nerve-wracking to have to hand in our homework” to the legendary author.deadline

Faithful Adaptation with Modern Edge

Wright’s version aims to restore the bleak realism of King’s source material, focusing on economic despair and media exploitation that feels particularly relevant in 2025. Unlike the 1987 film that stayed primarily in a gameshow setting, Wright’s adaptation incorporates the novel’s cross-country chase element, making it “a very intense, dangerous road movie”.ibtimes

The film follows Ben Richards, a desperate father who enters a televised death match where contestants must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins. Each day survived increases the monetary prize, but Powell’s character becomes an unexpected fan favorite and threat to the entire system.cinelinx

The ensemble cast includes Josh Brolin as producer Dan Killian, Colman Domingo as host Bobby Thompson, Lee Pace as hunter Evan McCone, and Michael Cera as rebel Elton Parrakis. Wright has confirmed the film will change King’s particularly dark ending, though the author approved the alteration, telling the director “I think you did a great job”.scorpiolikeyou

Box Office Battleground

Powell faces a promotional sprint leading up to the film’s release, including hosting Saturday Night Live for the first time on November 15. The appearance comes as “The Running Man” prepares for direct competition with “Now You See Me 3” on the same weekend.parade

Early box office tracking shows “The Running Man” opening in the $22 million range, while “Now You See Me 3” initially led in awareness polls. However, Wright’s film has been closing the gap in audience interest, setting up what industry analysts expect to be a fierce weekend battle. Both films also face second-weekend competition from “Predator: Badlands,” which opens November 7.screenrant

With Powell’s star power tested by this grittier role and Wright’s vision bringing King’s dystopian nightmare to vivid life, “The Running Man” positions itself as both a tribute to the source material and a commentary on modern media culture that couldn’t be more timely.