Why Glen Powell Couldn't Say Yes to The Running Man Until Stephen King Did
Bankable or not, Glen Powell couldn’t lock in The Running Man until Stephen King watched Hit Man and signed off.
Stephen King has seen Edgar Wright's new take on The Running Man, and the man is not shy about it. Meanwhile, Glen Powell had to do something I would not wish on any actor: sit around all night waiting to hear if King personally approved him for the lead. Welcome to Hollywood's weirdest pop quiz.
King's verdict (and it's a strong one)
"New trailer: RUNNING MAN. BTW: I’ve seen it and it’s fantastic. DIE HARD for our time. A bipartisan thrill ride."
So yes, there is a new trailer. And yes, King has actually seen the movie and is fully in the bag for it. Calling it 'DIE HARD for our time' is a serious flex.
How Powell got the part (barely)
Powell says he jumped at the offer when Wright called. Then came the twist: late that night, Wright told him he still needed Stephen King's blessing, and King was going to watch Powell's Hit Man right then. Powell went to bed not entirely sure he still had the job. He described the overnight wait as miserable. Honestly, can you blame him?
What makes this version different
This is not a beat-for-beat redo of the 80s movie. Wright is leaning into the book's vibe. Powell says the story lives out in the real world this time, where regular people can film you, report you, even try to take you down. The whole thing is designed to feel tense all the way through. Relentless is the word he used, and it fits.
Who's making it
Wright directed and co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall. He is also producing alongside Nira Park and Simon Kinberg.
Who's in it
- Glen Powell, stepping into the role Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous, now reimagined through the book's lens
- Katy O'Brian, fresh off a breakout in Love Lies Bleeding and a recent team-up with Powell in Twisters, as a contestant
- Daniel Ezra, who played Spencer James across 106 episodes of The CW's All American
- Josh Brolin (Outer Range) as a TV executive who serves as the main villain
- Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire) as a ruthless hunter
- Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) as a naive rebel trying to help the desperate man at the center
- Emilia Jones (CODA) as a privileged woman who is blind to the government's oppression
- David Zayas (Dexter) as a character named Richard Manuel
- Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) as the host of The Running Man, the brutal reality show dangling a massive cash prize
- Chi Lewis-Parry, a 6-foot-8 former MMA fighter (28 Years Later), as a runner
- Jayme Lawson (Sinners) in an undisclosed role
- William H. Macy (Fargo, Boogie Nights) in an undisclosed role
The date to circle
The Running Man hits theaters on November 14.