Glen Powell Runs for his life in Edgar Wright’s thrilling adaptation of Stephen King’s "The Running Man"

Glen Powell as Ben Richards in The Running Man

Edgar Wright? Check. Glen Powell? Yes, please. Stephen King? Of course! The powerhouse trio behind The Running Man delivers an action-packed, dystopian thrill ride you won’t want to miss when it opens in Philippine cinemas on November 12.

Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel (originally published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman), The Running Man takes audiences into a near-future society where a deadly game show rules the airwaves. Contestants, known as “Runners,” must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins—all for the entertainment of a bloodthirsty public. Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, a working-class father forced to join the show to save his sick daughter, turning into an unexpected hero and symbol of defiance against a corrupt system.

Glen Powell as Ben Richards

Wright—known for Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Shaun of the Dead—directs and co-writes this thrilling adaptation. A self-confessed Stephen King fan, Wright has promised a version more faithful to the original novel than the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. “It’s an expansive movie that was ambitious,” Wright said at New York Comic Con. Even King himself approved, emailing the director: “It’s more faithful to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to keep me on my toes and excited.”

Edgar Wright, director and co-writer, on the set of The Running Man

For Powell, this marks his first major lead in an action blockbuster. Known for his charisma in Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You, Powell brings humor, rage, and humanity to Ben Richards. “All of my running technique came straight from Tom Cruise,” he joked, referencing his Top Gun co-star.

Katy O'Brian plays one of the runners in The Running Man

The film also stars Josh Brolin as Dan Killian, the slick and ruthless producer of The Running Man show; Colman Domingo as the show’s flamboyant host; and Lee Pace as the unrelenting lead Hunter, McCone. Michael Cera and William H. Macy make memorable appearances, while Katy O’Brian joins as one of the fierce fellow contestants.

Josh Brolin is Dan Killian in The Running Man

Visually, The Running Man builds a world that feels both futuristic and eerily familiar—a “retro-futuristic” landscape that Wright describes as existing “somewhere between the future and the 1980s.”

With a gripping story, razor-sharp satire, and a dynamic cast, The Running Man reimagines King’s classic for a new generation of thrill-seekers.

Get ready for the hunt to begin when The Running Man hits Philippine cinemas on November 12.