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Edgar Wright is known for his distinctive film-making style, and the trailer for his upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Running Man looks like a return to that style after a brief departure for his last movie. Starring Glen Powell, The Running Man looks much more religious to the source material than the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Set for a November 7th, 2025 release date, The Running Man features a dystopian future where deadly game shows hold the public’s attention. Ben Richards (Powell) signs up to play a game where he is hunted to the death across the world, with every hour of his survival yielding more money for his family.
The first trailer for The Running Man shows plenty of high-octane action and brutal violence, which is more in line with Edgar Wright’s storied filmography than his most recent directorial excursion. Although it wasn’t a critical flop by any means, Wright’s 2021 psychological horror movie Last Night In Soho divided critics, while The Running Man looks anything but divisive, at least on the surface.
The Running Man Looks Like A Big Comeback For Edgar Wright
It’s A Return To His Frenetic, Action-Packed Filmmaking Style
Last Night In Soho featured plenty of beautiful cinematography and gripping performances from its stars, but not all critics appreciated the thinner narrative and the fact that the movie sort of ran out of steam. It achieved a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is certainly still very good, but it’s tied for the lowest score of Wright’s directed features.
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While there were some decent scares and captivating dance sequences, Last Night In Soho was missing the action and frenetic pacing of Wright’s best cinematic adventures. The characters were not particularly engrossing, mostly a result of the aforementioned thin narrative and unspectacular writing.
Wright’s best movies are marked by an accelerated pace, plenty of action, and typically some high-quality humor and satire. His unofficial trilogy with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End) perfectly defines his style, and those elements simply weren’t there for Last Night in Soho.
The Running Man not only has a Stephen King connection and an already-famous story, but it should also ride high on Glen Powell’s ascendant star power.
The Running Man seems like a complete return to form for Wright. The dark nature of its premise is satirical to begin with, so Wright is already working in his sweet spot. Despite some brutal kills and plenty of kinetic energy crackling throughout the trailer, it’s obvious there will be a comedic tilt to the proceedings.
On top of everything, it should be a return to box office success for Wright. Last Night In Soho was a complete failure, as it failed to even make its budget back despite decent reviews.
The Running Man not only has a Stephen King connection and an already-famous story, but it should also ride high on Glen Powell’s ascendant star power. It’s still early, but it feels like The Running Man could be a real comeback for Edgar Wright.
