Stephen King Approved The Running Man's Ending Change In Edgar Wright's Movie Version

The Running Man director Edgar Wright shared what author Stephen King thought of the change to his original novel’s ending in the new adaptation. Published in 1982, The Running Man takes place in a dystopian society where Ben Richards, to save his sick daughter, enters a reality TV show where he must survive 30 days of being hunted by professional assassins.

Releasing on November 14 in the US (it was previously set for November 7), The Running Man stars Glen Powell as Richards, with Josh Brolin, Emilia Jones, Lee Pace, Katy O’Brian, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, and Colman Domingo co-starring. Wright, along with Michael Bacall, adapted King’s novel, which did require making a few tweaks, specifically to the ending.

In a feature from Film Stories Magazine, Wright said that he knew “at the outset that [the novel’s ending] wasn’t going to be part of this adaptation exactly that way.” However, King had final approval of the script, so they had to get the OK from the author on their new take, which Wright called, “Possibly the most nerve-wracking day of the entire production.”

Wright shared that King also realized his original ending wasn’t going to work for this new movie – considering that it could have drawn comparison to the events of 9/11 – but that the author liked the new ending they came up with. Wright said:

“[W]hen [King] emailed back, he said, ‘I was very curious how you were going to tackle the ending, and I think you did a great job.’ So I was happy with that.”

Stephen King Often Shares His Takes On Adaptations Of His Novels

King is not shy about sharing his takes on the various movie and TV adaptations of his novels. He famously disliked Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, though he says that – with the help of 2019’s Doctor Sleep – he has gained more of an appreciation for it. Meanwhile, he’s praised the likes of Brian De Palma’s Carrie, Stand By Me, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, both the TV and movie adaptations of IT, and more.

We weren’t able to find a comment from King on the most recent adaptation of his, The Long Walk, but the SR team feels it’s one of his best of the 21st century.

The first adaptation of The Running Man from 1987, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is one that King does not like. The author said that the movie “doesn’t have much in common with the novel at all, except the title.”

2025 Is The Year Of Stephen King

Hollywood has been on a Stephen King kick this year. To date, adaptations of King’s The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, and The Long Walk have all been released in movie theaters. All of them have been praised by critics, though the box office success hasn’t been as pronounced.

The Running Man, the fourth and final adaptation of a Stephen King novel in 2025, will hope to continue the critical success, while also scoring the biggest box office haul of the group.