Yes, ‘The Running Man’ Is a Remake of One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Best Movies

Audiences around the world became acquainted with Glen Powell thanks to his performance in Top Gun: Maverick, where he plays Hangman, the competent rival to Goose's son in the $1.37 billion-earning blockbuster follow-up to the '80s hit.

Powell was the leading man in another successful sequel as the storm-chasing protagonist in Twisters, and the actor, who has extolled his friendship with Tom Cruise, is extending his resume as an action star by leading another high-profile IP with The Running Man. Some folks who are excited to see the movie are wondering, however, if it's a remake.

In 1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in The Running Man, which was directed by Paul Michael Glaser and was based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.

The film follows a similar premise to the book: The United States has become a dystopian society with a ruined economy in the year 2025.

In King's novel, Ben Richards enlists to join The Running Man show, which is produced by the Games Network. The series features participants who must outlast a number of hitmen hired to kill them on live television. Winners of The Running Man are awarded a massive cash prize.

Ben's decision to join the games is prompted by his inability to secure gainful employment. Additionally, his wife has to turn to prostitution in order to make a living, and his daughter becomes ill, requiring costly medication to improve her health.

In the film adaptation, Schwarzenegger plays Ben but with a modified backstory. He's a police officer who's been wrongly convicted of a crime and is able to gain his freedom by winning The Running Man games.

The movie featured a slew of colorful characters, such as Jesse "The Body" Ventura as Captain Freedom and Professor Toru Tanaka as Subzero.

Fans of 1980s action films will be no stranger to what transpires on camera in Arnold's version of the film. Sporting brutal battle scenes that culminate in grisly deaths and the famed bodybuilder's one-liner catchphrases, the movie is considered a classic entry in the genre.

The 2025 iteration of the movie, directed by Baby Driver's Edgar Wright, seems to lift some plot points from the novel. Ben Richards is caring for his sick daughter in the movie when he is approached by The Running Man's producer, who is portrayed by Josh Brolin.

Furthermore, the IMDB page for the new flick indicates that Running Man contestants are allowed to "go anywhere in the world" as they're pursued by the "hunters" attempting to kill them.

Glen Powell said in an interview with People in April of 2025 that Arnold Schwarzenegger gave the production team behind the new flick "his blessing" to make the movie.

Ben's motives in the flick, according to its synopsis, appear to be rooted in a desire to save his sick daughter. Ultimately, he's "convinced by the show's charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian, to enter the game as a last resort."

Like the novel and the '87 version of the movie, Ben's "defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite. This, as the film's description writes, ultimately makes him "a threat to the entire system." The breakdown continues to read, "As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall."

The Running Man with Glen Powell is slated to release in theaters on Nov. 7, 2025. In addition to Powell and Brolin, the movie also stars Michael Cera, Colman Domingo, Sean Hayes, William H. Macy, and David Zayas.