Stephen King is the king of horror. In 1977, King wanted to diverge from his typical horror novel and needed a way to beat his contractted publication commitment of printing one book each year. His solution was to write under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. While using this pen name, King wrote The Running Man, a dystopian novel about a man named Ben Richards, a man competing in a reality TV show, “The Running Man”.
“The Running Man” is a show on which contestants try to survive 30 days in a world where everyone is hunting them down. The runners are prey and there are hunters, whose job it is to locate and kill the runners. Additionally, viewers can earn a reward for reporting or killing a runner, which turns pretty much the whole world whoever’s running. Richards is running to save his young daughter, who will die if she doesn’t recieve legitimate medicine. Without a job, Richards turns to “Free-Vee”, the government controlled network that is mandatory in every house.
During his time on the show, Richards meets several people like the current runner/s (there are two other runners in the 2025 adaptation of the book compared to one in the novel), Stacey Throckmorton (an ally to Richards), Bradley Throckmorton (older brother to Stacey, ally to Richards, and someone who enlightens Richards about some harsh realities of the world), Elton Parrakis (an ally to Richards), who all help broaden his horizons on the world around him.
The novel was written in 1982 and is set in a futuristic society in the year 2025. While the cruel game show depicted in the novel doesn’t exist today, several directors have taken on the challenge of making a film adaptation of this incredible novel. Neither are exactly like the book, (with both adaptations having a different ending and some additional/changed aspects) but both are certainly good entertainment.
The first adaptation came in 1987, just five years after the novel was released. This film was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso and Richard Dawson. While the original adaptation was a good movie for the time period, it didn’t follow the book. The film changed many aspects of King’s novel, such as the ending, love interest, and the prize for surviving 30 days. These differences make the movie feel less authentic and leave the viewers wondering where the original story went.
The original film takes the heavy and disturbing circumstances of the book much too lightly, with leotards and hunters that are hard to take seriously. These aspects completely soften King’s brutal message from the novel. Additionally, the movie feels very 80’s for a film that is supposed to be set in the future. Rather than feeling like a dystopian society, the environment feels very old school. “The Running Man” (show) resembles an 80’s talk show complete with the frizzy hair, flashy colors and jumpsuits.
There are also several plot elements in the film that are very different from the novel. Rather than having a wife named Sheila, Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a love interest Amber Mendez (María Conchita Alonso), who wasn’t a character in the book. Perhaps the most drastic change from the book to the original film, however, is the ending, which completely disregards the final moments in King’s novel. Rather than being a thought provoking piece, the movie wraps up in a classic and happier way, which isn’t what King intended to happen.
In his Screen Rant article entitled “Why Stephen King Disliked Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Running Man Movie”, Michael Kennedy comments on the difference between the first adaptation and movie: “One major reason Stephen King isn’t a fan of The Running Man movie is just how little it retains from the novel it’s based on”.
After the disappointment and differences present in the first adaptation of The Running Man, Edgar Wright decided to take the challenge of making a new adaptation. Wright’s The Running Man stars Glen Powell as Ben Richards, Lee Pace as Chief Hunter Evan McCone, Emilia Jones as Amelia Williams (Richards’ hostage and later ally) and Josh Brolin as Dan Killian, the producer of “The Running Man”. The new adaptation is set in an alternate, dystopian version of 2025, compared to the original adaptation which was set in the (then) future.
The casting director definitely did a fantastic job casting this film. All of the actors display vulnerability in the dystopian time so well, all helping to make a cohesive adaptation that aligns more with the novel. Colman Domingo plays Bobby T, the crazed yet entertaining host of “The Running Man” show. He does a fantastic job depicting the role and makes the whole movie feel more dystopian and makes the cruel game show more entertaining and futuristic.
Other actors such as Powell also made the film immersing and thought provoking, showing their true talent through complex moments, fight scenes and more. The casting director truly cannot get enough credit for all the incredible choices they made on this film. Powell depicts the snarkiness that readers see in King’s novel as well as full on anger that is more of a unique touch he gave the character. Powell shows Richards’ different sides to himself and Richards’ development throughout the movie.
While Richards starts the film as a man who can’t hold a job, is furious at the figures in power and is willing to do anything to save his daughter. During the film, Richards proves that he can’t help but help others, which often gets him in trouble. He helps show that often our perceptions of villains are tainted. Richards was trying to do the right thing and be a kind person, but rather than reward him, the government punished him and made him out to be a bad guy. At the start of the film, Richards may be stubborn and sometimes downright mean, but his character goes through and learns a great deal, causing loads of character development that make the viewer like Richards more.
Corruption is just one of the elements of The Running Man that is present in society today. Fake media and propaganda are represented through the fake elements of “The Running Man”. There is also a clear obsession over material goods in the dystopian society, which is evident in the world today. Another thing that is present in the film and society is how little it takes to sway our opinions and perceptions. At the beginning of the film, pretty much the whole world hates Richards. However, as he begins to get more popular and loved, suddenly people perceive him as a hero and begin to like him more.
Other heroes in the film are performed incredibly by other actors. Michael Cera portrays Elton Parrakis, an ally to Richards, giving the character an undeniable passion for the rebellion and incredible booby traps that create one of the best action scenes in the movie. British actor Daniel Ezra plays Bradley Thormockton, another ally of Richards. His character gives a voice to the corruption in the government and illustrates other struggles of the common man in 2025 (the dystopian year).
While heroes in the film are portrayed beautifully, without the actors that depict the villains, the film would be less disturbing and intriguing. Pace gives Chief McCone more depth and makes him a force to be reckoned with. His performance towards the end of the movie is especially amazing, as his character undergoes conflict and involves a huge plot twist. The other infamous villain is the producer of “The Running Man”. Brolin helps this character first appear charismatic, while he is really a cruel, insensitive human that is concealed by the mask of fame and power.
In additional to the phenomenal acting, the newest adaptation of The Running Man has incredible wardrobe. Whether its one of Richards’ disguises or just the outfit of an extra, the costumes fit the setting and plot of the movie. Colors like red represent greater themes like anger present in the film, which helps make the film cohesive and symbolic. The costumes feel futuristic yet eerily similar to clothes one might wear today, making the whole situation feel dreadfully real and completely dystopian at the same time.
Another aspect of the film that makes it so good is the pacing. Towards the middle and end of the film, the scenes can jump and feel a little awkward for the viewer and the ending is a little rushed and random. Other than that the movie has incredible pacing that keeps the viewer intrigued and doesn’t feel rushed. The pacing of the beginning of the movie is perfect and helps give the viewer time to understand and learn about the situation of Richards and his past actions.
All of these aspects make The Running Man an amazing movie. An Entertainment Weekly article entitled “Stephen King reveals his thoughts on the big ending change in The Running Man (exclusive)” reveals King’s opinion on this fantastic film. According to the article, Edgar Wright comments that “‘Stephen King read the screenplay before we started filming, and so I was kind of most nervous about what he would think, but he loved it”. Wright also describes the film as “much more faithful to the book, but different enough to keep it exciting”.
King is most certainly right. The new adaptation is much more true to the book than the original adaptations. There are a few differences, like having more than two runners, but those changes are interesting, well thought out and don’t take away from the movie in any way. The biggest change from the novel is the ending, which is a huge plot twist that leaves the viewer stunned. The new ending is much happier than the one in the novel, which may make it more appealing for some. The more joyful ending doesn’t take away from the profoundness and eeriness of the film, which is amazing.
I highly recommend you watch the 2025 adaptation of The Running Man and read the original novel, because they are thought provoking pieces that leave the viewer/reader thinking and wanting more. Both the novel and film have you on the edge of your seat and explore complex and emotional themes like rebellion, manipulation and propaganda and are the perfect mix of action, spunk, dystopia and conflict.
