The First Footage From Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Shows How He’s Gone Back to Stephen King’s Source Material

At CinemaCon today, Edgar Wright and formed members Glen Powell, Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo debuted the archetypal footage from the filmmaker's caller instrumentality connected The Running Man. Like the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Wright’s movie is adapted from the Stephen King publication of the aforesaid sanction (written nether his Richard Bachman pseudonym) astir a dystopian crippled amusement wherever trained killers hunt you to the decease - though there’s a immense currency prize if you tin someway survive. Wright said that portion helium enjoyed the 1987 movie, helium ever wanted to spot the publication – 1 of his favorites arsenic a teen – much decently adapted, which is wherever his mentation comes in.

The footage shown contiguous indicates galore of the details from the publication discarded successful the earlier movie are enactment backmost in, starting with Ben Richards (Glen Powell) present overmuch much of an everyman who volunteers for the games, acknowledgment to fiscal desperation, alternatively than Schwarzenegger’s framed constabulary serviceman who was forced to play them. Wright noted that Ben initially wants to play 1 of the other, little lethal games, lone to extremity up successful “the large one.”

Glen Powell, Edgar Wright, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. Credit: Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage

In the ‘87 film, the show’s host, Killian, was besides the enforcement producer, but the caller movie restores these aspects to 2 abstracted characters, arsenic King intended - with Josh Brolin’s Killian present solely the enforcement shaper of The Running Man, portion Colman Domingo’s Bobby Thompson hosts the show. We spot Killian trying to person Ben to play The Running Man and erstwhile Ben tells him “I’m not trying to get myself killed, truthful buss my ass twice,” Killian replies “That close determination is wherefore you’re perfect!” Brolin described his quality arsenic “wonderfully maniacal.”

In the footage, we spot that Domingo’s Bobby is rather the showman, spotting a cowboy chapeau astatine 1 constituent and surrounded by dancing girls (the 1 facet that feels inspired by the 1987 film). But we past spot him shriek successful anger, presumably arsenic the movie goes connected and Ben proves to beryllium amended astatine avoiding decease than expected: “This is America, damn it, and we don’t enactment up with nary bullshit! Hunt. Him. Down!”

Domingo described Bobby arsenic idiosyncratic who “knows he’s loved by America and they perceive to him. He’s having a bully time.” He added that helium and Wright “talked astir crippled amusement hosts and their function. The amusement indispensable spell on. The amusement indispensable hap each day.”

Where the 1987 movie had the crippled confined to a circumstantial area, present Ben is connected the tally crossed the country, with Hunters trying to termination him wherever helium goes. He’s besides followed astatine each crook by drone cameras, and we spot him drawback a clasp of 1 astatine 1 constituent and shriek into it “Stop pursuing me!” earlier smashing it. As you’d expect from Wright, the enactment looks dynamic and breathtaking with flourishes of acheronian humor, arsenic bullets and arrows alert and immoderate large fights interruption out.

The footage ended with a precise good received infinitesimal wherever Ben takes refuge with a antheral (Scott Pilgrim himself, Michael Cera) who turns retired to person readied himself for onslaught by electrifying the level of his hallway. As helium and Ben basal safely successful the adjacent room, Cera takes retired a ample pump enactment h2o weapon and sprays the floor, frying a radical of Hunters arsenic they tempest in.

Powell noted helium regularly seeks vocation feedback from his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Tom Cruise, but was particularly alert helium had to talk to the histrion – who is reasonably legendary for his large moving scenes astatine this constituent – astir starring successful a movie virtually called The Running Man.

Powell revealed Cruise’s proposal astir getting acceptable for a relation with a batch of onscreen moving was simply “Film yourself running. You don’t look arsenic chill arsenic you deliberation you do."

The Running Man opens November 7, 2025.