Paramount Bets Big on The Running Man: Can Glen Powell Outrun Schwarzenegger’s $38M Cult Classic?

Glen Powell is strapping on his charm again, this time for Edgar Wright's take on The Running Man. Yes, it's a new spin on the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger cult favorite, and yes, the early box office chatter is... cautious. Big star, buzzy director, hefty budget — and tracking that might make the studio sweat. Here's what you need to know.

Release date and the box office math

The Running Man hits theaters on November 14, 2025. Early domestic opening projections from Box Office Theory put it at $19–$28 million. That number is fine for a mid-budget thriller; it is not ideal for a movie reportedly costing around $110 million. And it's not opening in a vacuum.

• The Running Man (Edgar Wright): $19–$28M opening weekend (domestic)
• Now You See Me: Now You Don't (the new Now You See Me entry): $12–$17M
• Keeper (a horror film from Oz Perkins): $6–$11M

So, The Running Man currently looks like the weekend's top new release, but not a runaway. For a holiday-season launch with a nine-figure budget, those estimates are on the soft side.

Who's in this version

Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) leads a stacked cast: Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin), Michael Cera, and Katy M. O'Brien are all on board. Wright — one of the sharpest stylists working — is directing, and this is a fresh adaptation of the Stephen King novel, not a scene-for-scene redo of the 1987 movie. Translation: expect changes. Some beats you remember may not be there.

Why the comps are messy (but useful)

The original The Running Man had a rough box office run: about $38.1 million on a $27 million budget, according to Slash Film. It grew into a cult classic later — the kind you find on cable and in midnight screenings — and it sits at 6.6/10 on IMDb with a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. Wright's film is playing in a different marketplace with a different tone, but the IP isn't some automatic juggernaut. That's likely baked into these early forecasts.

Quick premise refresher

If you're new to it: the story centers on a deadly reality game show where the protagonist is hunted on live TV for cash and ratings. In Wright's hands, that setup has plenty of room for satire, spectacle, and some nasty thrills.

The Arnold footnote

Back in 2014, Schwarzenegger said he had heard chatter about a follow-up to his version and seemed game if it happened. The man was not shy about it:

"There are rumblings of a new Running Man movie, so it's a great honour to be asked back... I'm still in good shape, and I can do the action and have the energy to do these movies."

Different project, different decade — but worth remembering how long this title has floated around development talk.

Bottom line

Wright adapting King with Powell out front is a great creative combo on paper. The early tracking, though, suggests a cautious start for a $110M movie opening the same weekend as a flashy heist sequel and a horror newcomer. If the film delivers the goods — and Wright usually does — legs could matter more than the Friday-to-Sunday headline number. Either way, mark it: November 14, 2025.