Edgar Wright confirms he is developing a new Running Man movie - but it will be very different

Edgar Wright has confirmed that he will develop a new take on The Running Man which will be a closer adaptation to the book.

The Running Man novel was released in 1982 by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. A movie was produced in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger starring as the hero, Ben Richards.

Mahjong Scenes in Cinema: What They Reveal About Character and Culture

Thursday 8 January 2026, 08:23

From jump scares to jackpots: why horror movie aesthetics persist in modern online casino design

Tuesday 23 December 2025, 10:29

The movie deviated a lot from the novel and undoubtedly was less bleak than the story by King, though it remains a fan favourite of 80s action movies.

The official premise of the movie:

'In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.'

Wright is planning a new Running Man movie that will be more faithful to King's vision.

"The Running Man, which is something that is in active development. Why is that interesting to me? It's like, I like the film but I like the book more, and they didn't really adapt the book," he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

"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! But it's something that we are working on, yes. I'll tell you that much."