Glen Powell reveals Stephen King had final say on his casting in ‘The Running Man’
Glen Powell has revealed author Stephen King had to approve his casting in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man.
The upcoming movie is an adaptation of King’s classic novel of the same name, which was published in 1982. It was previously turned into a film in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role.
At New York Comic Con (via People), Powell explained how Wright offered him the role before checking with King first, sharing, “Edgar offered me this movie, and I was like, ‘Yes.’ I’m like, ‘Let’s go…’ And then, like, later that night [Edgar says], ‘By the way, like, you have to be approved by Stephen King. He’s gonna watch Hit Man tonight.”
Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater, arrived in cinemas in 2024 and stars Powell as a police contractor turned fake hitman, which was based on a true story.
Thankfully for Powell, King was a fan of the movie and didn’t decide to overrule Wright’s decision to cast Powell in The Running Man.
Powell added, “And so I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch Hit Man and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It’s terrible.” He then, to his relief, discovered the next day that King “loved” the film.
In The Running Man, Powell plays Ben Richards, who, per the synopsis, “must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward”.
King has given the movie his seal of approval, describing it as a “fantastic Die Hard for our time. A bipartisan thrill ride.”
It also stars Michael Cera, Josh Brolin, Katy O’Brian, Lee Pace, and Colman Domingo. The Running Man is set for release in in the UK on November 7th, 2025.
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