The writer of the 1987 Running Man movie has responded to the new Stephen King adaptation's disappointing box office opening – and he says he was "rooting" for the movie, which stars Glen Powell as reality show contestant Ben Richards.
"I was totally rooting for it because I figured the more people see this movie, [then they] will want to go out and rent the old one, just for comparison’s sakes," screenwriter Steven E. de Souza told The Hollywood Reporter. "So, win-win."
The '80s version of The Running Man starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards. There are some key differences between that movie and director Edgar Wright's new version, including that the titular game show in the 1987 movie plays out in an arena, whereas the 2025 adaptation is a cross-country chase – just like in King's novel. However, de Souza thinks the two movies' endings have a lot in common.
"The book’s ending is a downer, so you need a new ending," he added. "I would say that both the ’87 version and this version tweak the ending in pretty much the same way, except that in our version, we had less money, so it’s a little simpler. Maybe the third version in 2045 will stick the landing."
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
