The Running Man is getting a more faithful adaptation and the new trailer for the Edgar Wright movie proves that. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the film stars Glen Powell as Ben Richards, a man running for his life on a game show of the same name.
The game show of “The Running Man” allows people to volunteer to be hunted down for sport. Stay alive, win big money. But the catch is that everyone in the world can hunt you down. Yes, they want their “hunters” to take them down but there are money prizes for civilians as well. Basically, everyone is your enemy and you need to run.
Wright’s adaptation with Michael Bacall promises to be a more faithful adaptation to the book and after watching the first few trailers for The Running Man, that is very apparent. Ben is angry, fighting for his daughter, and willing to do whatever it takes to get back to his family. Even with 6’5″ Lee Pace wearing a mask hot on his tail.
And now, the new trailer features Ben Richards at his angriest and it is glorious.
Hot, right? What I love about this adaptation so far is that Wright and company do recognize that many will come into this movie thinking of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. And there is an easter egg to the Terminator himself on the money used in the film.
But as far as I can tell, this take on The Running Man is far more faithful to what Stephen King created within the Bachman book.
A story of desperation
Ben is both a sympathetic man and also someone who lets his aggression take over, at least in the novel. The trailer seems to be a bit more nuanced when it comes to Ben and both his love for his family as well as how he reacts to those in charge of the Network. He’s not exactly warm and fuzzy to the people with the money who refuse to see him as anything other than “less” than.
And I love that this trailer allows Ben’s anger and upset to shine. It is what drives him in the book and what keeps him in the game and, by the looks of this trailer, we’re getting a lot of what King included in his original story.
The Running Man hits theaters on November 14.
(featured image: Paramount Pictures)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
