EntertainmentGlen Powell stars in Edgar Wright's bold "Running Man" remake

Glen Powell stars in Edgar Wright's bold "Running Man" remake

Glen Powell in "Top Gun: Maverick"

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11:46 AM EDT, April 13, 2024

Edgar Wright, a distinguished British director, has taken the helm of the latest adaptation of "The Running Man," with Glen Powell starring in this eagerly anticipated remake. Powell, whose career soared after his role in "Top Gun: Maverick," had previously struggled to make a significant impact in Hollywood. Both Wright and Powell are facing considerable challenges with this project.

"The Running Man," originally starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in 1987. This dystopian science fiction film, which diverged significantly from Stephen King's 1979 novel released under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, is set in a future where television dominates people's thoughts and offers increasingly crude entertainment. The narrative follows Ben Richards, a desperate father fighting for his sick daughter's life by participating in a deadly reality show, a stark contrast to the film's portrayal of Richards as a policeman imprisoned for his moral stance.

The futuristic novel, set 45 years ago, envisages 2025 dominated by television and marked by severe social inequalities, where a desperate father competes in a fatal game show to save his ailing daughter. The differences between the book and the 1987 film adaptation are substantial, with the new version aiming to align more closely with King's original vision.

New Take on "The Running Man"

Wright has expressed his desire to avoid the common pitfall of remakes, which often end up as mere echoes of their predecessors. He aims to infuse the new "The Running Man" with originality, drawing on his successful track record with films such as "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," "Baby Driver," and "Last Night in Soho."

Fresh from the success of "Top Gun: Maverick," Glen Powell is stepping into a role once filled by Schwarzenegger, a move fraught with its own challenges. Despite the notable failures to recapture the magic of Schwarzenegger's hits in remakes like "Conan the Barbarian 3D," "Total Recall," and "The Executioner: Rebirth," there are high hopes for Powell's performance in "The Running Man."