With a career as expansive as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, it’s no surprise that the iconic actor has some projects he would do differently in hindsight. Recently, he revealed the one film that he hoped would be redone: 1987’s The Running Man.
In 2025, this wish is coming true, and The Running Man remake, directed by Edgar Wright, has earned Schwarzenegger’s seal of approval. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, it follows Ben Richards (Glen Powell) as he competes in a game show in which he has to survive 30 days on the run from deadly assassins in order to raise money to save his sick daughter. The 1987 film deviated from this premise by altering Richards’ origin to that of a wrongly-convicted criminal.
In a video shared to the director’s Instagram, Schwarzenegger is seen speaking to Wright and Powell about The Running Man, offering praise for its improvements on the 1987 movie. The Terminator star said: “The only movie that I always wanted to have redone of my movies was Running Man. So now this one really upped it and did exactly that. So really fantastic. And the action was unbelievable and creative.“
“I think it was funny with the hundred dollar bills,” Schwarzenegger added, referring to his face being on the $100 bills used in the 2025 film. After this comment, Wright and Powell revealed a giant version of the prop and presented it to him.
Previously, Powell revealed Schwarzenegger’s positive reaction to the film in an interview with ScreenRant. The actor stated: “He loved it – freaked out, was so excited. But the first thing he told me, he goes, ‘This was a very painful movie for you.’ He’s shot so many action movies, and he knows what it takes to throw yourself around.“
Powell also added that Schwarzenegger was excited to see a more book-accurate version of The Running Man put to screen. “He was so excited that the Stephen King book we put on screen – it’s really the first time Stephen’s vision has been properly adapted,” he explained. “He just kept saying, ‘It’s incredible.’“
Edgar Wright’s The Running Man releases in theaters on November 14, 2025, while the 1987 version is streaming on Paramount+ in the United States.