Stephen King Personally Approves Glen Powell for Lead Role in New Adaptation of “The Running Man”

Stephen King is personally monitoring the reboot of “The Running Man.”

Glen Powell will headline “The Running Man,” the new adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. After the success of Top Gun: Maverick, Powell has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, but director Edgar Wright first needed the author’s personal blessing before finalizing the casting.

Powell recalls that when Wright offered him the role of Ben Richards, he warned him that they would have to wait for King’s verdict — the writer wanted to watch a few of Powell’s films first.

“I had to spend the whole night waiting while King watched ‘I Am Not a Killer,’ and hope that in the morning the part would still be mine. It was agonizing.” Fortunately for Powell, King was pleased and gave his approval.

The film is based on King’s 1982 novel, which was previously adapted in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead. The plot follows a deadly television spectacle in which contestants are hunted by professional killers across the globe for thirty days — the sole survivor walks away with a vast fortune.

The new version of “The Running Man” is scheduled to be released on November 14, 2025.

Source: iXBT.games