The Running Man
Short description
Set in a near-future society, this action thriller follows Ben Richards, a working-class man who enters a lethal reality show to fund medical treatment for his sick daughter. In this competition, participants must evade professional killers for thirty days while being broadcast live to a violent audience. Persuaded to join by the ruthless producer Dan Killian, Richards unexpectedly becomes a public favorite. His resilience turns him into a threat to the show's organizers, forcing him to outmaneuver both the hunters and the system controlling the game.
The film was directed by Edgar Wright, who also co-wrote the screenplay. This production follows his previous work on projects including Baby Driver and Last Night in Soho. The movie stars Glen Powell as the lead, with a supporting cast that includes Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, William H. Macy, and Michael Cera.
Produced by Paramount and other companies with a budget of 110 million USD, the film earned 69 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception is moderately positive, with a 6.4 rating on IMDb from 86,000 votes and a 6.7 rating on TMDB from 1,987 votes. These scores are slightly higher than the 6.1 rating provided by film critics.
What's left behind the scenes
- The scene where Ben Richards and two other contestants are shown the uniforms they will be performing in was filmed at the Tottenham Hotspur football club's sports center in London. In one of the interviews during the promotional tour, Edgar Wright said that for the filming of this scene, his assistant specifically wore a jersey of the Arsenal football club (long-time rivals of Tottenham Hotspur). The center's staff did not like this, and as soon as filming ended, the filmmakers were escorted out of the building without further ado.
- Before filming began, actor Glen Powell contacted Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Ben Richards in the 1987 film, and, according to Glen, received his blessing for the shoot.
- Stephen King, the author of 'The Running Man', enjoyed this adaptation and called it 'Die Hard' of our time.
- Edgar Wright (the film's director, screenwriter, and producer) agreed to film Glen Powell only if his candidacy was approved by Stephen King (the author of the 1982 novel that served as the literary source for the film). To convince King that Powell was suitable for the lead role, Wright advised him to watch Richard Linklater's crime melodrama 'Hit Man' (2023) starring Powell in the main role.
- In the scene in the dressing room before the contestants go on camera, above the costume niches next to the lead character’s name, are the names of actors who starred in films based on other works by Stephen King ('Carrie' from 1976 directed by Brian De Palma and 'The Dead Zone' from 1983 directed by David Cronenberg).
- At the 3rd minute of the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger's portrait can be seen on the banknotes, as he played the main character in the first adaptation of the novel. Since banknotes in the US traditionally depict former presidents, this is also a reference to the film 'The Terminator', which featured a joke about Arnold's potential presidency.
- Tom Cruise called Glen Powell, who was to play the lead role, and gave him some advice regarding the future film. According to Powell, he expected the call to last ten minutes, but the conversation lasted 2.5 hours. During the dialogue, Cruise talked about how to best ensure safety when performing stunts, and indeed gave Powell some valuable advice.
- Director and screenwriter Edgar Wright deliberately abandoned the idea of filming the movie as a remake of the 1987 film, which had many changes compared to the original novel. According to Edgar, he wanted to convey the captivating spirit of the road movie from Stephen King's work.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
