I Wasn't Interested In The Running Man Remake Because I Didn't Like The Original, But Now It Has My Attention

I think Edgar Wright is a fantastic filmmaker and Glen Powell is one of the best actors of his time, but when I heard they were teaming up for the upcoming 2025 movie The Running Man, it did not exactly sound like a slam dunk to me. You see, I understand that 1987’s Arnold Schwarzenegger-led adaptation of Stephen King’s novel (written under the “Richard Bachman” pseudonym) has its fans, but I am not one.

However, I am already a fan of this remake, which I understand is more faithful to the source material, based on the trailer alone (I, admittedly, have not read the book, either). Not only does it look like a blast, but it appears to be “correcting” a lot of the issues that I had with the original adaptation. Allow me to be more specific…

The Remake Gives The Hero A Tragic Backstory

In 1987’s The Running Man, Schwarzenegger plays Ben Richards, who is framed for murder (in a pretty unrealistic fashion, I might add) and sent to a prison camp that he escapes 18 months later. However, when he is captured once again, he is forced to participate in the eponymous hit reality show competition in which he must survive a literal fight to the death.

Powell’s version of Richards, whom the actor got into “bulletproof” shape to play, is not a convict but an average man unable to get a job, whose desperation to provide for his wife and ill child leads him to participate in the deadly challenge. I am a sucker for stories about family men or women pushed to the edge typically, and this version of The Running Man is certainly no exception already. Schwarzenegger’s Richards may also suffer a cruel injustice, but taking away the greater purpose to his survival makes me a little less engaged in his story.

The Movie Expands The Hero's Journey Beyond An Arena

Having never read Stephen King’s The Running Man, as I established, I did not realize just how different the Schwarzenegger-led adaptation was from the novel, especially in its depiction of the titular TV program. The film places Richards in an arena-like setting where he must take on a series of costumed “stalkers” one at a time over the course of an evening. If I were a fan of the book, seeing the movie in 1987, I think I would have been sorely disappointed by this amendment.

In the novel, Richards is tasked with surviving 30 freaking days of being chased by highly skilled assassins while travel anywhere he can to avoid being detected. I honestly did not realize that was part of the original story, and I think I would have had more fun with ‘87’s The Running Man if that element had been kept. Thus, I am really happy to see it incorporated into Edgar Wright’s version.

The Humorous Tone Is More Akin To My Taste

Speaking of Edgar Wright, I am especially happy to see him taking on this material because, having co-created one of the greatest horror-comedy movies of all time (Shaun of the Dead) and a few of the best action-comedy movies of all time (Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver), I absolutely adore his sense of humor. Based on the Running Man trailer, which sees Powell channeling Bruce Willis with some hilarious quips, it seems like he is bringing those same sensibilities to this adaptation, and in a way that I imagine will be easier for me to swallow than in the first film.

You see, while some call 1987’s The Running Man a movie so cheesy it’s awesome, I feel that it overdoes it with the cheesiness. I mean, Richard Dawson’s over-the-top performance as the show’s host – which a scenery-chewing Colman Domingo takes over this time – is perfectly on brand, and I can tolerate to stalkers’ ridiculous outfit to a point, but the way Schwarzennegger follows every kill with an increasingly infantile pun just grows tiresome for me. The trailer suggests the new film has a more keen handle on its humor, which I very much appreciate.

Ya know, I must admit, the one moment from The Running Man trailer that really sold me is when Michael Cera, reuniting with his Scott Pilgrim vs. the World director here, takes out a fleet of SWAT team members with his own elaborate, homemade traps like some unhinged, grown-up Kevin McCallister. I mean, I’ll buy my ticket for Glen Powell’s hero, but I’ll be looking forward to seeing Cera’s supporting ally character in every moment until he pops up.