Stephen King Approval Secures the Role

Glen Powell recently revealed how he landed the lead role in Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel The Running Man. Speaking at New York Comic Con, Powell shared that after Wright offered him the role of Ben Richards, he had to wait for King’s approval before officially joining the project Bollywood romance films.

“Edgar offered me this movie, and I said, ‘Yes.’ But later that night, he told me, ‘You have to be approved by Stephen King. He’s going to watch Hit Man tonight,’” Powell recalled. King reportedly loved Powell’s 2023 film Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater, allowing him to take on the role officially.

Plot Overview of The Running Man

The story follows Ben Richards, a working-class man whose sick daughter motivates him to compete in a deadly televised game. Contestants, called Runners, are hunted for 30 days by professional killers, with escalating cash rewards for survival. This adaptation stays true to King’s original vision, adding real-world elements like citizen reporting to heighten tension, similar to how Bollywood romance films such as Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat explore emotional stakes in dramatic storytelling.

Cast and Direction

Directed by Edgar Wright and co-written with Michael Bacall, The Running Man features Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Josh Brolin, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson. Wright’s approach blends fidelity to King’s dystopian narrative with modern societal commentary.

Anticipation and Release

Set to release on November 14, 2025, under Paramount Pictures, the film has already generated significant excitement. Powell described the approval process as stressful but rewarding: “I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch Hit Man and hope I still had the role in the morning. It’s terrible,” he admitted.