The first trailer for Stephen King's The Running Man has arrived – and it looks like what you would get if you threw John Wick, Bullet Train, and Squid Game in a blender.
In the brief clip, which can be viewed below, we get our first look at Glen Powell as Ben Richards, an unemployed man short on cash and struggling to support his family in a "medical crisis." With no other choice, Ben becomes a contestant in a twisted dystopian sci-fi show called The Running Man, in the hopes of winning a grand prize. "It's the biggest show in the country," says Josh Brolin's character, but there's a catch.
Host Bobby Thompson (Colman Domingo) then explains the rules: the contestants are allowed to run anywhere in the world while being chased by the general public, the latter of which is able to win a huge sum of money if they successfully kill each contestant. The rest of the trailer shows Powell's protagonist going full John Wick, willing to stop at nothing to win and be rid of the game, from jumping off a moving car to taking down a pilot in the midst of flying a plane.
The movie is based on King's dystopian sci-fi novel of the same name, first published in 1982 under King's Richard Bachman persona. A loose adaptation of the novel hit theaters in 1987, directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards. Wright's adaptation was first announced back in 2021, with Powell's casting announced in 2024.
The official synopsis reads, "Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite – and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall."
The cast includes Josh Brolin, Katy O'Brian, Daniel Ezra, Karl Glusman, Lee Pace, Jayme Lawson, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, William H. Macy, David Zayas, and Sean Hayes. Edgar Wright directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Michael Bacall.
Wright previously remarked that the 1987 movie didn't "really follow the book," and that his version plans to be more of a faithful adaptation.
The Running Man is set to hit theaters on November 7, 2025. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.
