A classic Stephen King story is sprinting its way back to the big screen this November — this time with actor Glen Powell leading the charge under the direction of Edgar Wright. “The Running Man,” based on King’s 1982 novel written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, opens in Philippine cinemas on Nov. 12.
“I’m definitely fired up about it,” Powell said in a behind-the-scenes featurette, his excitement matching the film’s pulse-pounding premise.
The story follows Ben Richards (Powell), a working-class father in a dystopian America where the economy has collapsed and entertainment has turned deadly. To save his sick daughter, Ben is forced to join a violent reality game show called The Running Man, where contestants known as “Runners” are hunted by assassins for 30 days. Each move is broadcast to a bloodthirsty audience — and each day survived brings a higher cash reward. But when Ben starts to fight back, he becomes more than a contestant; he becomes a threat to the system itself.
For Wright, a longtime fan of Stephen King, the mission was to stay true to the novel. At the recent New York Comic Con, the filmmaker joked that making such a faithful adaptation — one where Ben literally runs from city to city to evade his hunters — was “exhausting.” Still, he added, “I’m proud of it. It’s an expansive movie that was ambitious.”
The effort didn’t go unnoticed. Wright shared that King himself emailed to say, “It’s more faithful to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to keep me on my toes and excited.”
Powell brings a new edge to Ben Richards — angry, funny and surprisingly relatable. Having starred in “The Expendables 3” alongside action legends like Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who played Richards in the 1987 adaptation), Powell knows his way around an action scene. He also credits his “Top Gun: Maverick” co-star Tom Cruise for his running technique. “All of my running technique did come straight from Tom,” he quipped at CinemaCon in April.
The cast is a powerhouse. Josh Brolin plays the manipulative Network producer Dan Killian — so charmingly ruthless he convinces Richards to join the deadly game. Colman Domingo brings charisma and menace as host Bobby Thompson, while Lee Pace transforms into McCone, the masked hunter who always seems one step ahead.
Even brief appearances by William H. Macy and Michael Cera, who reunites with Wright after “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” lend depth and unexpected warmth to the film’s survivalist chaos.
Wright’s version of “The Running Man” is set in a retro-futuristic world — a blend of tomorrow and the 1980s, echoing the novel’s original tone. The result is a thriller that feels both visionary and eerily familiar, reflecting today’s obsession with spectacle and control.
“The Running Man” opens in cinemas nationwide on Nov. 12. / LQ3 with PR