Hollywood loves a good Stephen King book. There have been over 90 feature-length movies based on King’s works, with several of his books getting multiple adaptations, including The Running Man. Written under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Running Man is a dystopian adventure where one man enters a deadly game show to win money. There have been two movie adaptations of The Running Man: the 1987 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the 2025 version with Glen Powell, with the latter climbing the streaming charts.
Directed by Edgar Wright, 2025’s The Running Man misfired at the box office, grossing $68 million on an estimated budget of $110 million. However, the show is finding new life on streaming. Since it began streaming on Paramount+ last month, The Running Man has consistently sat in the top 10 movies on the service, and according to Flix Patrol, it’s the top movie on Paramount+ in the United States. Despite its problems, The Running Man is now a streaming success.
What is The Running Man about?
In my best Colman Domingo voice, “Welcome to The Running Man.” In a future version of a dystopian United States, a media corporation known as The Network runs the country. The most popular program is The Running Man, a reality TV competition that mirrors the plot of The Most Dangerous Game. Contestants (“runners”) attempt to survive for 30 days without being killed by “hunters,” paid assassins that work for the Network. Runners earn money for each day they survive, with the grand prize being $1 billion.
Powell stars as Ben Richards, a struggling citizen who loses his job, meaning he can’t pay for medical bills to take care of his sickly daughter. Desperate for cash, Ben defies his wife’s (Jayme Lawson) orders, auditions for one of the Network’s game shows, and gets selected to be on The Running Man by the vindictive producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin).
After surviving the first day, Ben quickly realizes that the Network has no intention of letting him leave, meaning they will do whatever it takes to execute him on live television. What Killian doesn’t plan for is Ben’s ingenuity, resilience, and anger—Ben is irritated and repeatedly complains about his problems through his mandatory taped confessionals.
The Running Man’s strengths do not outweigh its weaknesses
1987’s The Running Man was made to amplify Schwarzenegger’s strengths—strength, star power, and comedy. The Running Man is an ’80s action movie first and a King adaptation second. Schwarzenegger gets to fight the bad guys and say a few ridiculous one-liners—”Killian, here is Subzero! Now, plain zero!” Compared to his other action blockbusters of the decade, Schwarzenegger’s The Running Man underperformed at the box office with a $38 million gross, which ultimately became the start of a trend for this specific IP.
2025’s The Running Man was directed and co-written by Edgar Wright. The English filmmaker’s movies are known for their frenetic pacing, zany dialogue, and blend of comedy with action. The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Baby Driver are the perfect examples of an Edgar Wright film done well. There are moments in The Running Man that have Wright’s distinctive style, with the best moment coming with Powell’s interaction with Elton Parrakis, played by Scott Pilgrim’s Michael Cera. The entire Home Alone sequence with Powell and Cera fighting off the hunters is the perfect combination of quippy humor and fast-paced action.
Unfortunately, the type of style does not fully fit with The Running Man’s premise. It is a dark book that uses a dystopian adventure to craft a story about the horrors of capitalism, authoritarianism, class inequality, and media propaganda. Even though the 2025 adaptation is closer to the book than the 1987 movie, the tone of the novel does not come off in Wright’s adaptation. The third act, especially the ending, also feels flat. Wright changed the bleak ending of the novel in favor of a more optimistic approach. Had it been an original action comedy instead of a Running Man adaptation, it might have been better received.
Aside from the tone, Powell’s casting is now being second-guessed now that the film flopped. When Powell gets to play the most charming character in the room, he is a true star—look at Hit Man, Anyone but You, Twisters, and Top Gun: Maverick as evidence. He’ll test that appeal later this month in A24’s How to Make a Killing. While Powell has the body and the personality to play an action hero, he doesn’t give off the anti-authority energy necessary to play Ben. Ben Richards is an angry and aggressive character. Those traits are not in Powell’s wheelhouse right now.
With many box office flops, look at the logistics for answers. The odds of success for a blockbuster with a nine-figure budget for a project with IP that previously underachieved were low to begin with. Paramount also did The Running Man no favors with the November release date. Predator: Badlands, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2 swallowed up The Running Man at the box office.
Streaming success could lead to a reexamination of The Running Man
Credit: Ross Ferguson/Paramount Pictures
Reexamining movies critically years after a release is a tale as old as time in Hollywood. There are countless examples of movies that have received praise after garnering negative acclaim or flopping financially upon their release. Audiences and critics hated Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Today, it’s widely considered a masterpiece. Babylon, another Paramount misfire, is already developing a dedicated following less than four years after its release.
It’s too early to tell if The Running Man will receive that critical reexamination. What I can say is that The Running Man has an intriguing premise, a likable star, and a talented director. There are stretches of this movie, especially the Boston hotel sequence and the Cera moments, where it’s an entertaining action romp. Paramount+ customers have responded positively to the movie, as evidenced by its popularity on the service. Schwarzenegger’s movie has now achieved cult status. The same could happen to Powell’s version in due time.
Release Date
November 11, 2025
Runtime
133 minutes
Director
Edgar Wright
Colman Domingo
Bobby Thompson
If you’re searching for more Paramount+ content, check out shows like Tulsa King and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Plus, Taylor Sheridan fans can stream some of his hit shows, including Mayor of Kingstown and 1923.
