By 2017, following a worldwide economic collapse and resource scarcity, the United States has become a totalitarian police state. The government maintains control through propaganda, censoring unsanctioned art, music, and communications. The most popular TV show, The Running Man, is a state-controlled game show where incarcerated criminals can earn their freedom by surviving as “runners” against lethal “stalkers”.
The Running Man is a dystopian thriller novel by American writer Stephen King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982 as a paperback original. It was collected in 1985 in the omnibus The Bachman Books.
The Running Man may not be a darling of the critics but it’s good fun never the less with great one liners, outlandish baddies and a career topping, incredible performance by Richard Dawson as the game show host.
A remake of the movie is set to be released on November 21, 2025 with Glen Powell as the lead. . Edgar Wright will direct and reimagine the story with Michael Bacall, the latter of whom will pen the screenplay. Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon will produce through Kinberg’s Genre Films banner, alongside Nira Park from Wright’s Complete Fiction banner.