It’s finally Friday, and do you know what that means? As soon as you clock out of work, it’s time to relax! You may be thinking about getting together with friends, making dinner plans, playing some Arc Raiders, or going to the movies! If your path leads to your local cinema, Edgar Wright’s version of Stephen King’s The Running Man awaits!
So far, The Running Man is picking up speed at the box office after earning $1.9 million in previews against Now You See Me: Now You Don’t ($2 million). The Running Man opened across 3,000 theaters during Thursday night previews, with more screens getting the action-packed remake starring Glen Powell on Friday.
Curiously, The Running Man currently holds a 63% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the original film’s 59%. So far, reviews are mixed for Wright’s adaptation, with many saying the film is fun but does not live up to Wright’s stellar track record for inventive filmmaking.
Here’s the official synopsis for Edgar Wright’s The Running Man:
In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television—a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast a while back, Wright said he was drawn to The Running Man because, “I like the film but I like the book more, and they didn’t really adapt the book. Even as a teenager when I saw the Schwarzenegger film I was like, ‘Oh, this isn’t like the book at all!’ And I think, ‘Nobody’s [done] that book.’ So when that came up, I was thinking, and Simon Kinberg says, ‘Do you have any interest in The Running Man?’ I said, ‘You know what? I’ve often thought that that book is something crying out to be adapted.’ Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy! [Laughs] But it’s something that we are working on, yes.”
With so many opinions about The Running Man circulating, including thoughts from JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray, we want to know what you think about the movie. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you’re going to post significant spoilers, consider being considerate and giving people a heads up. Thanks!
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