The countdown is on. The first trailer for Edgar Wright’s The Running Man has arrived — and with it, Glen Powell is officially stepping into the arena
The countdown is on. The first trailer for Edgar Wright’s The Running Man has arrived — and with it, Glen Powell is officially stepping into the arena. The action-packed reimagining of Stephen King’s dystopian classic hits theaters on November 7, and the modern footage promises a brutal, breathless ride with Powell leading the charge as Ben Richards, a desperate man forced to survive a state-sanctioned death game for a shot at saving his daughter.
Powell, 36, isn’t the only one impressed by what Wright’s cooked up. At this year’s CinemaCon, none other than Tom Cruise watched the teaser alongside Powell — and according to Powell, the Mission: Impossible icon was blown away.
“Watching that teaser with Tom Cruise is a memory I will never forget. He was so stoked after watching it. What’s been amazing about my relationship with Tom is the fact he’s a guy that doesn’t hide his excitement. He loves the theatrical experience and working hard and putting your body on the line to entertain audiences.”
While Cruise isn’t in the film, the trailer certainly hits that same adrenaline-loving sweet spot. Wright’s take looks to combine raw physicality, pitch-black satire, and a relentless pace — much closer to the source material than the 1987 adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. And yes, the Terminator star has seen what’s coming — and approves.
“I always felt when we did Running Man… it could have been better,” Schwarzenegger recently told CBR. “We didn’t have the money, or the effects we needed. I think they have a good chance now with the new Running Man to make it better. And I hope, for their sake and for my sake, I hope that they will be successful.”
As for the trailer itself, Wright spoke after it was released with Empire, to do a breakdown of the footage we saw, and explained a bit more about Powell’s character:
“It’s not necessarily Ben’s plan to go on ‘The Running Man’,” says Wright. “He would happily go on one of the other game shows and risk injury instead of death, but by a series of circumstances he does end up as the prime candidate to be The Running Man.”
What’s ‘The Running Man’ About?
For those unfamiliar with the King original: The Running Man is set in a dystopian America where the penniless are manipulated into competing in a deadly televised game show. Contestants must survive for 30 days while being hunted by a rotating cast of sadistic assassins. If they do, they win $1 billion — but no one ever has.
Wright, who co-wrote the screenplay with longtime collaborator Michael Bacall, has promised a more faithful adaptation of King’s story. That means audiences can expect a darker, more visceral take — not just another retro action flick. Alongside Powell, the movie will feature Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, Katy O’Brian, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Karl Glusman, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson.
The Running Man hits theaters November 7.
The Running Man
Release Date
November 7, 2025
Director
Edgar Wright
Writers
Edgar Wright, Michael Bacall
Producers
George Linder, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg
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