The Running Man Could Get A Cool Aesthetic

The resurgence that Stephen King is currently having, thanks in no small part to the popularity of streaming platforms is a sight to see. There are some King works that are more popular than others and in an age when companies are loath to take a real risk on things, the author’s resurgence has been thanks to remakes of previously released IPs. Most recently, HBO Max featured a remake of Salem’s Lot as part of its Halloween offerings. However, there are several projects in the work that will hit streaming next year. That includes a brand new take on The Running Man, a book that was written under King’s alias, Richard Bachman. It’s also a remake of the 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

This remake of The Running Man, due to hit Paramount+ in November 2025, will star Glenn Powell as the main protagonist, Ben Richards, the same character that Schwarzenegger played in the original movie. With the project due out next year, shooting has officially begun and that has given excited Stephen King fans their first leaked look at what this offering, helmed by Edgar Wright, will look like. Some set photos show that Wright is journeying away from the the movie and will have a look that is more in tune with the book. Judging from what’s been shown off so far, the director is definitely going for a very cool aesthetic that could help the audience feel like this particular story is more in line with what could be.

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The Running Man Sticking Close To The Source Material

The way that the 1987 movie was done is, in some ways, very similar to the way that Stanley Kubrick adapted The Shining. In other words, The Running Man included some key parts of the book, including the characters’ name and the plot. However, that movie’s director Paul Michael Glaser took some liberties with how the story unfolds.

Written in 1982, The Running Man is set in a dystopian view of the future, in this case, 2025 (hence the very fortuitous release date.) In this dark future the nation’s economy is in ruins and world violence is rising. In order to try and placate an ever more agitated American public, the fascist government has created a Gameshow Network that is a sort of offshoot of modern reality television, or perhaps a kind of spiritual predecessor of the Squid Game. Contestants, including Powell’s Ben Richards can compete in these games, which have very real and very deadly consequences.

Each game has different cash prizes for different achievements and and a massive payout if someone manages to win the whole thing. The Running Man is one of the most difficult to win, as each contestant is given just enough money to go on the run, to anywhere in the world, while trying to avoid law enforcement and bounty hunters for 30 days.

In the original film, Schwarzenegger’s Ben Richards was enclosed in a kind of arena where he had to run and hide, and didn’t need to survive for quite as long. However, set photos that surfaced online for Powell’s version offer a completely different backdrop. And one that is both familiar and just different enough to pull off the really cool aesthetic.

A Past With No Future

The set photos that first surfaced in The Daily Mail show a future that looks quite a bit different than what was offered in Schwarzenegger’s version. Rather than wearing brightly colored jumpsuits, Richards looks like every normal man you might see walking down the street. The city he’s traveling through, almost certainly what’s referred to as Co-Op City in the book, looks like a modern city from our own time, though there is a definite throwback feel to everything.

The cars, especially give a quality and an aesthetic of a 2025 that included the financial collapse years before. Because the country and the world are in decline, technology has stopped advancing. Several pictures featured retro looking cars right out of the 1980s. In essence, this version of King’s adaptation will have a look and feel of a story that is supposed to be set in the future but will be stuck during the period of time that is our past. The clothes of the extras on set hint at the same kind of “stuck in time” look. However, there are some signs that things are a bit different in this world as there were. a few shots of police officers wearing futuristic-looking body armor that is a very nice contradiction to the mostly retro appearance.

There are also several shots of Powell’s Ben Richards most likely going to check out a massive building, perhaps the Gameshow Network headquarters and being lost among a crowd of extras. This pic stands out because there are no bright colors anywhere. Everyone is wearing earth tones and almost exclusively brown, grey or black. The buildings too look old enough and drab enough that the entire appearance gives off an oppressive vibe.

The way that this new world of The Running Man looks, means that this Edgar Wright adaptation will stray pretty far away from the 1987 version. It will be interesting to see just how this story unfolds when it hits streaming next fall.

Stephen King

Stephen King is one of the most prolific living authors. A master of horror, King’s classic works include The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, It, and the Dark Tower series. Many of his books and short stories have been adapted to film and television, including The Shawshank Redemption, Lisey’s Story, 1408, Secret Window, and The Stand.

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