Edgar Wright’s take on Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running will go in front of cameras in just a couple of months, says Glen Powell, the film’s star.
Earlier this year we heard that Glen Powell had been selected to play the lead role in Edgar Wright’s take on The Running Man. It’s been over three years since the project was first announced and fans of both Wright, and Stephen King’s original 1982 novel, have had to wait patiently for news of a production date. Meanwhile, occasional news regarding Wright’s other potential projects have sometimes bubbled up, throwing into doubt whether The Running Man would even be the next film on his slate.
After a couple of years of near total silence, we recently heard that The Running Man is still in active development, and it seems like Wright has been giving himself the necessary space to prepare for what he has dubbed his ‘dream project.’ The casting of Powell back in April signalled that the film’s production – which is being backed by Paramount – was definitely nearing and the actor himself has now confirmed to IndieWire that it will indeed go before cameras in just a couple of months, stating:
“I’m going to be shooting The Running Man in the fall […] The world that Edgar’s developed on this thing is just outrageous. It’s so good. And really, we’re just both such big fans of the Stephen King book, and it’s going to be a great character. I’m so fired up about it.”
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Set in 2025, ‘the story follows a man named Ben Richards while he participates in a deadly game show, called The Running Man, which sees him declared an enemy of the state and hunted by a ground of murderous hitmen.’
The book has adapted for the screen before of course, giving us the action-laden 1987 film of the same name that starred a lycra-clad Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s still a highly entertaining watch to this very day.
Wright’s film is said to hew closer to King’s original book, which means we can expect something much darker. The filmmaker has a Barbarella remake in the works too, with Sydney Sweeney set to star. Then there’s also talk of a Baby Driver sequel. However, The Running Man will be his next film and with production beginning soon, might we even see the film by the end of next year? When we hear more, including further casting details, we’ll certainly let you know.
