The Running Man director reveals the big way the action-packed thriller differs from the likes of Kill Bill and John Wick: "This was an opportunity to bring it down to a more relatable level"

Glen Powell as Ben Richards in The Running Man — (Image credit: Paramount Pictures)

The Running Man director Edgar Wright has revealed the key difference between his new action-packed Stephen King adaptation and other action-thrillers like John Wick and Kill Bill.

"This has as much suspense as action, because you’re in a movie where your lead character is trying not to attract attention," Wright told SFX magazine. "It isn’t a film where he’s running into a crowd and beating everybody up. That would be ill-advised. But it does feel intense because you’re with him the entire way and you’re experiencing the developments of the story as he is. We don’t cut back to the studio audience or the baddies. We stay with Ben, we only see what he sees."

Based on the novel by Stephen King, The Running Man follows Ben Richards, played by Glen Powell, a contestant in the televised Running Man competition. Competitors must stealthily outrun a group of hitmen for 30 days in order to win a life-changing amount of money but, if you're caught, it's game over – literally.

"We tried to create situations that seemed relatively grounded," Wright continued. "We’ve had two decades of action where you’re used to seeing very fanciful, stylized stuff on screen – just the ongoing Hong Kong influence in Hollywood, from Kill Bill to John Wick to films I’ve made. Because of who Ben Richards is, this was an opportunity to bring it down to a more relatable level."

"The references we’ve talked about on this movie are everything from Die Hard to Escape From New York. It’s ordinary people against extraordinary odds," Powell added, whose character, Ben, is just a regular guy in a desperate situation who needs to help his family.

"I’ve always loved movies with people like Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, and Harrison Ford. It’s been a real blast because the stuff we’re doing on this movie isn’t random wirework and relying on visual effects. It’s all in-camera. It’s all happening around you. The explosions are real, people are flying past you…"