Stephen King wrote and released The Running Man in 1982 using the ‘Richard Bachman’ pseudonym.
Five years later, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in an adaptation that could not have been more different from the book, only retaining the concept of a violent show.
In fact, a successful lawsuit showed that Arnold’s adaptation plagiarized Le Prix du Danger, a 1983 French film directed by Yves Boisset. The Running Man 2025 is a more faithful adaptation of King’s novel.
Directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), the film takes audiences to a dystopian future in which a desperate man with a sick daughter joins a perilous game where he stands to win a lot of money, but only if he can stay ahead of the world’s deadliest assassins.
So far, the film has received lukewarm reviews (63 per cent critic score). Critics praised the first two acts for their zany plot and thrilling action. But the movie runs out of steam in the third act. You can watch The Running Man in cinemas today.
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