Stephen King’s New Adaptation Will Finally Feature Something the 1987 Movie Couldn’t Handle

Some of Stephen King ’s movie adaptations are rightfully considered untouchable, though others might need some improvement offered by a potential modern reboot.

The latter option is the case for a 1987 dystopian action film The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger which, despite having received relatively good reviews from critics, is still regarded as not the most accurate adaptation King’s novel of the same name could have received.

However, the issue is likely to be fixed by the upcoming remake which, according to its director, has now added the original book’s significant detail to its storyline.

Edgar Wright Teases The Running Man’s Exciting Feature You Won’t See in Schwarzenegger’s Movie

Now set to be released on November 7, the upcoming movie stars Glen Powell as Ben Richards, an impoverished 28-year-old resident of the fictional Co-Op City, who decides to participate in deadly games to get some money with which he would later on buy expensive medicine for his seriously ill daughter.

Apart from focusing on Richards’ participation in the contest, the original book also sees him traveling to other places like New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, while in the 1987 movie he stays within the game show setting.

The issue has been frequently brought up by Stephen King’s fans, but now they may finally receive what they wanted all along. In his recent interview with Empire, The Running Man’s director Edgar Wright revealed he had intentionally kept focus on Richards’ travels across America in the plot line.

“One of the things about the book that I loved was the fact that Ben Richards is out in the world on his own, so it’s like the deadliest game of hide and seek. It does feel like making a road movie in a lot of ways: a very intense, dangerous road movie. Ben is moving through different environments and meeting different people as he tries to survive 30 days out in the wild”, Wright said, highlighting that this was one of his personal favorite parts of Stephen King’s novel.

Wright’s The Running Man Is Likely to Surpass the Previous Adaptation in More Aspects

Apart from being an adaptation which is more accurate thematically, Wright’s future movie might also become a bigger critical and commercial success.

The Running Man led by Schwarzenegger wasn’t quite a blast back in the day, grossing $38 million against its initial budget of $27 million; additionally, the film received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences, currently holding scores of 66% and 61% on Rotten Tomatoes.