Edgar Wright is directing The Running Man remake

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Based on a Stephen King novel, the original 1987 film starred Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Running Man 1987
(Image credit: TriStar Pictures)

Edgar Wright will direct an adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Running Man, reports Deadline, and it won't be a remake of the 1987 film.

Wright is co-writing the story with Michael Bacall and "will be much more faithful to King's best selling novel" which was published under the author's pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982. The Running Man is a dystopian thriller set in the United States in 2025 where people watch a twisted game show that involves contestants running from Hunters employed to kill them. The contestants can go anywhere in the world to flee the Hunters, and of course, the show is called The Running Man.

The novel tells the story of Ben Richards, a poor 28-year-old who's been blacklisted and can't find work, but desperately needs to procure medicine for his sick daughter. Naturally, he puts himself up for The Running Man out of desperation, as he'll earn $100 an hour for staying alive. 

The 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film is a very loose adaptation of King's novel, so expect Wright to give us a more faithful version. Funnily enough, it's the one movie Wright said he'd like to remake "with no restrictions whatsoever" when answering a Tweet from a fan all the way back in May 2017 - so this is going to be a good one, King fans. 

We know Edgar Wright knows how to make an epic action film, and with the date in which the novel is set drawing ever closer, The Running Man is going to be a spicy hot flick when it debuts. There are no details regarding release date or casting news, but stay tuned, as we'll update you accordingly. Just know I'm putting John Boyega's hat in the ring. For more, check out the most exciting upcoming movies of 2021 and beyond. 

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante
Former Features Writer

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.