Is The Running Man 2025 a remake? Everything to know about the dystopian action thriller

The Running Man returns in 2025 with Edgar Wright steering a leaner, more book-faithful chase. The Running Man casts Glen Powell as Ben Richards, a desperate father who enters a televised hunt to fund life-saving care for his child. Wright’s version is positioned as a return to Stephen King’s 1982 novel rather than a scene-for-scene redo of the 1987 film.

Paramount first teased footage at CinemaCon in April 2025, followed by a trailer in July and a London premiere on November 5. The UK release is scheduled for November 12, and the US release is set for November 14. Early coverage highlights two threads. Powell commits to grounded, in-camera action. Wright frames the story as a road thriller that plays out across real locations.

Is The Running Man (2025) a remake or a new adaptation?

The short answer is that the movie is not a straight remake. Wright has repeatedly stated that the film draws inspiration from King’s book and plays like a road movie rather than a studio film. As per the GamesRadar report dated March 12, 2025, Wright said,

“It does feel like making a road movie in a lot of ways: a very intense, dangerous road movie. Ben is moving through different environments and meeting different people as he tries to survive 30 days out in the wild.”

The outlet also quotes him, positioning Ben Richards as a man who moves through different environments over 30 days. This is the book’s structure and not the contained spectacle most remember from 1987. The team also sought to maintain continuity with the franchise’s legacy without replicating it. As per the People report dated July 1, 2025, Glen Powell remarked,

“Arnold gave us his blessing,....[His son] Patrick Schwarzenegger is a great friend of mine and I asked Patrick if I could talk to Arnold, and I hadn't seen Arnold since we shot [The Expendables 3] in Bulgaria.”

After he and Wright spoke to Schwarzenegger by FaceTime, Powell signed on.

As per The Playlist report dated March 10, 2025, Wright stated,

“One of the things about the book that I loved was the fact that Ben Richards is out in the world on his own, so it’s like the deadliest game of hide and seek.”

That line underlines the shift from a single TV set to a cross-country pursuit.

The Running Man: Release date, who’s making it and the cast list

Release dates: UK November 12, 2025. US November 14, 2025. London premiere on November 5. First public footage screened at Paramount’s April 3 CinemaCon session. The first trailer arrived on July 1.

Filmmakers: The Running Man is directed by Edgar Wright and co-written with Michael Bacall for Paramount. Wright discussed his grounded approach in pre-release interviews and at convention panels in October.

Cast: Powell stars as Ben Richards. Colman Domingo plays the show’s host. Josh Brolin appears as an executive producer figure within the story. Lee Pace is the lead Hunter, with supporting roles for William H. Macy, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Katy M. O’Brian and Sean Hayes.

Production and locations: Principal photography began in the UK in November 2024, including sequences at Wembley Stadium and extended shoots in Glasgow at the SEC Armadillo and OVO Hydro. Wright’s team emphasized in-camera action over wire-heavy choreography to keep Ben’s perspective front and center.

What The Running Man is about, and how it differs from 1987?

Story basics: The Running Man follows Ben Richards, a blacklisted worker who volunteers for a televised hunt to win a billion-dollar prize and medicine for his sick daughter. Hunters and incentivized civilians pursue him for 30 days while the network packages the chase as spectacle. This logline tracks with King’s novel and was underscored in studio materials and trailer copy.

Key differences: Wright keeps the camera with Ben and takes the action into real spaces across a near-future America. The 1987 film staged most of its violence inside a game-show arena. Recent coverage notes Wright’s choice to avoid stylized gun-fu and instead anchor the suspense in practical stunts and claustrophobic geography. That decision aligns The Running Man with survival thrillers rather than glossy tournament action.

Current reception: Early reviews describe a brisk update with energetic chases and a pop-leaning soundtrack, with some critics debating the world-building. Regardless of the verdict, the consensus is clear about the format. The Running Man is not a one-set arena brawl. It is a cross-country pursuit that restores the book’s structure and media critique for 2025.

Stay tuned for more updates.