By News Helpline
Starring Glen Powell as Ben Richards 鈥 a desperate man in a decaying future who volunteers for a brutal government-run game show to save his family 鈥 the trailer wastes no time plunging us into the chaos. In this version, The Running Man isn鈥檛 just a flashy televised event; it鈥檚 a dystopian death sentence disguised as entertainment. Contestants are hunted across real terrain by trained killers known as 鈥淗unters,鈥 and if Richards can survive 30 days, he鈥檒l walk away with enough money to get medical care for his sick daughter and escape poverty. Easier said than done.
Wright, known for his razor-sharp editing and kinetic energy (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), brings a thrilling intensity to the visuals 鈥 this world is sleek yet grimy, stylized but grounded in paranoia and pain. The trailer gives us glimpses of a future drenched in media manipulation, corporate greed, and public bloodlust. And the cast? Absolutely stacked.
Alongside Powell are Katy O鈥橞rian, Daniel Ezra, Karl Glusman, Jayme Lawson, Emilia Jones, Lee Pace, Josh Brolin, and Colman Domingo, among others. Michael Cera and William H. Macy show up in intriguing flashes 鈥 possibly part of the government or media machine orchestrating the game. Colman Domingo, in particular, exudes menace in what seems like a lead antagonist role, possibly the head of the network running the show.
What鈥檚 most exciting is the emotional grounding this adaptation promises. Powell鈥檚 Ben Richards isn鈥檛 a muscle-bound killing machine; he鈥檚 a man clinging to hope in a hopeless world. The trailer hints at a layered, emotional performance that may elevate The Running Man beyond just a survival thriller and into a poignant commentary on our obsession with spectacle, reality TV, and power.
With a screenplay by Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall (21 Jump Street, Scott Pilgrim), the tone feels smart, brutal, and uncomfortably timely. The November 7, 2025 release date can鈥檛 come fast enough.
This is The Running Man reboot we didn鈥檛 know we needed 鈥 and if the trailer is any indication, it鈥檚 not just running鈥 it鈥檚 sprinting straight into must-watch territory.