Stephen King’s dystopian novel “The Running Man” gets a modern update with British filmmaker Edgar Wright helming a new adaptation that had its UK premiere in London this Wednesday (November 5).
Wright was joined by lead actor Glen Powell along with cast members Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, and Emilia Jones.
Set in an increasingly consumerist future, “The Running Man” stars Powell as blue-collar factory worker Ben Richards who competes in the titular game show, a deadly contest that requires him to survive for 29 days or get hunted down brutally for live television.
While King’s novel was first adapted in 1987 with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead, Wright’s film sticks closer to the source material.
As the filmmaker told Reuters: “I read the book when I was 14. When I saw the film later, even though I enjoyed it, I thought it’s completely different to the book. And I thought there’s a whole other movie to that material.”
For leading man Glen Powell, the role of Ben Richards was a physical exhausting one with the actor even turning to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ co-star Tom Cruise for advice.
Powell added: “As a grown adult, I don’t know when the last time you’ve run for your life. But if you’re doing it all night, it’s a lot more exhausting than you think it would be. So, if there’s a guy that has more energy than anyone, it is Tom Cruise, and a lot of experience running on camera. So, he was very generous with his advice.”
The film’s ensemble also boasts actors like Josh Brolin, Michael Cera, and William H. Macy who weren’t present at the screening.
The premiere also marked a reunion for Edgar Wright with comedians and actors Nick Frost and Simon Pegg who have acted in Wright's previous films "Shaun of the Dead', "Hot Fuzz", and "The World's End".
“The Running Man” releases in the UK on November 12 and opens in US cinemas and worldwide on November 14.