The trailer has arrived for The Running Man, Edgar Wright’s (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver) long-gestating adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 dystopian novel, and it’s a frenetic blast of neon carnage, game-show satire, and Wright-signature needle-drops. Watch the trailer above and learn more below.
The footage introduces Glen Powell as Ben Richards, a cash-strapped dad who volunteers for television’s top-rated death match, a 30-day gauntlet where “Runners” are hunted by professional killers while the nation cheers.
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A Deadly Game for Prime-Time Ratings
The teaser lays out the show’s brutal rules: survive a month, the prize money climbs by the day, and every move is broadcast to a bloodthirsty public. Josh Brolin’s slick producer Dan Killian assures viewers the spectacle is “all in good fun,” while Colman Domingo’s showman host stokes the crowd’s bloodlust. But as Ben’s quick thinking and charisma turn him into an unlikely fan favourite, the network realises it’s created a ratings goldmine—and a problem it can’t easily control. Lee Pace, Katy O’Brian, and others swagger in as outlandish “Hunters,” each with their own brand of televised mayhem.
Wright’s Spin on King’s Reality-TV Prophecy
Wright, who co-wrote with frequent collaborator Michael Bacall, has stressed that his film hews closer to King’s grim source material than the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger-led adaptation. “There’s a story in the novel that’s never been told, and that’s what excited me,” Wright told press at CinemaCon. He also praised Powell—one of 2024-25’s busiest leading men—saying the actor carries the film on “natural charisma that morphs into real-life action hero.” Powell, meanwhile, admitted: “I have never worked harder on a movie in my life,” calling the project an “insanely ambitious story, massive in scope.”
A Cast Built for Mayhem
Alongside Powell, Brolin, and Domingo, the ensemble includes Michael Cera (as a rebel techie aiding Ben), William H. Macy, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson. Wright produces with Simon Kinberg and Nira Park; with cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung (who worked on Wright’s Last Night in Soho and has lensed Park Chan-wook films such as Oldboy and The Handmaiden) also behind the camera.
Release Dates
The Running Man opens in Australian cinemas on November 6 and in the U.S. on November 7.
