Credit: Far Out / Alamy

Edgar Wright describes ‘The Running Man’ as an “intense, dangerous road movie”

Mon 10 March 2025 17:51, UK

Edgar Wright has shared the first glimpses for his upcoming movie The Running Man, a hotly anticipated updated adaptation of the classic Steven King novel, starring Glen Powell in the lead role.

The director told Empire, “It does feel like making a road movie in a lot of ways: a very intense, dangerous road movie,” before adding that the cinematography would pay tribute to King’s original expansive dystopian world as “one of the things about the book that I loved was the fact that Ben Richards [Powell’s character] is out in the world on his own, so it’s like the deadliest game of hide and seek.”

Wright continued: “Ben is moving through different environments and meeting different people as he tries to survive 30 days out in the wild.” Inspired not only by King’s novel but also by the 1987 version of the film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the director voiced his wish to remake the movie in a 2017 social media post – relaunching the terrifying plot into the future.

On his choice to cast the blockbuster star in the leading role, Wright commented: “I felt it was important to see somebody who hadn’t really done something like this before. It’s similar to Bruce Willis, when he was still the guy from Moonlighting, before he did Die Hard, where that adds to the suspense. Can they make it?”

Although it is set in the current day, it will be remaining faithful to the original premise, the film will depict a murderous gameshow in which ‘Hunters’ chase contestants for money. Alongside Powell in the lead role, a large ensemble cast will include the likes of Josh Brolin, Katy O’Brian, and Colman Domingo.

Principal filming for the movie has taken place around the UK, with Powell spotted in various locations in both London and Glasgow in late 2024 while shooting.

The Running Man is set for release in cinemas in the UK on November 7th, 2025.