CinemaCon recently announced that Glen Powell will replace Arnold Schwarzenegger in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming ‘The Running Man’ remake. Schwarzenegger led the 1987 adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name.
Edgar Wright will direct the new take on the dystopian thriller. The upcoming film will reportedly be more faithful to the book than the previous one. Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon will produce it.
The Director Was Handpicked
Paramount Pictures announced Wright’s involvement in the new ‘The Running Man’ film in 2021. Kinberg commented on choosing the director to reimagine the book in a /Film interview. He said:
“Yeah, he’s one of my favorite directors of all time and one of my favorite people, just a super great guy. Obviously a cinephile.”
The producer noted:
“We are working on it actively. He’s actively working on the script with Michael Bacall. And our hope would be that it is a movie that, again, all fingers crossed and luck and everything else go our way, that Edgar could maybe direct next year.”
The Book And The Film’s Plot Details
‘The Running Man’ is about a fictional TV show where criminals fight for their lives in dangerous games. If they make it out alive, they can win money and freedom.
The story is originally set in a futuristic 2025. The year changed to 2017 in the 1987 film, but the premise remained the same.
There are no details yet on the plot or setting for the new remake, but the filming will start this year.