Glen Powell on the Run in Edgar Wright’s First Trailer for The Running Man

It’s here – the first official trailer for Edgar Wright’s version of The Running Man, and it looks like we’re getting more than just another remake. Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards in a dark and action-packed interpretation of Stephen King’s novel, where survival is entertainment and death is primetime.

Set to premiere in November 2025, and with a cast that also includes Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, and Michael Cera, it promises a blend of adrenaline-fueled escape and satirical critique of the future – all encapsulated in Wright’s characteristic pacing and visual style.

Reality-TV with Deadly Outcomes

In this version of The Running Man, the concept is fairly simple: Survive 30 days. The entire nation watches as participants – called “Runners” – are hunted across the country by specially trained killers and “cameras on every street corner.” Ben Richards volunteers to earn money for his sick daughter. A classic desperate man meets an impossible situation, wrapped in a hyper-modern dystopia where reality-TV has become a bloody national sport.

Wright aligns closely with King’s original 1982 novel, written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, which means this is not a follow-up to the Schwarzenegger film from 1987 but rather a reboot – and a much more faithful version of the book. We’re not confined to a TV studio this time. We’re on the road, in cities, in the dark alleys, and remote motels. Ben Richards isn’t just running for his life – he’s running across the entire USA.

Familiar Faces and Blood Splatter in 4K

The trailer shows us Josh Brolin as the manipulative television producer Dan Killian, and Colman Domingo as the charismatic and psychotic TV host Bobby Thompson – a sort of sinister Ryan Seacrest meets Hunger Games’ Caesar Flickerman. Michael Cera appears in a role resembling a technical operator with a little too much control obsession and too little empathy.

Glen Powell – who has already made a name for himself with Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You – seems to be going all-in here. Sweat, blood, and desperation are evident in his gaze as he crawls through underground tunnels and steals food from gas stations, all while the show’s killers move ever closer.

And yes – the trailer includes a small, gleaming nod to Arnie, who reportedly approved the reference personally.

The Universe and Transformation from 80s Kitsch to 2020s Dystopia

Where The Running Man in 1987 was tongue-in-cheek, big guns, and even bigger one-liners, Edgar Wright’s version feels much more grounded and bleak. The technology feels plausible, the show’s existence frighteningly close to reality, and the satire cuts deeper. It is a modern mix of Battle Royale blended with Black Mirror, but with a slightly larger budget and more explosions.

There is still something fascinating about the idea of using human survival as entertainment, especially when you consider how far reality TV has already gone. And when Wright is involved, you can be sure of style and energy coupled with sharp social critique.

The Running Man premieres on November 7, 2025.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.