Stephen King Reacts To The Running Man Ending's Major Book Changes

The following contains spoilers for The Running Man (2025).

Stephen King’s The Running Man has received its second film adaptation, without Arnold Schwarzenegger this time, and with an ending that is markedly different from the original 1982 book.

King has expressed disapproval with the way his films have been adapted in the past, but this time around, he likes what he sees. In a recent interview, the iconic horror author (who wrote the original book under his pen-name Richard Bachman) gave his seal of approval to Running Man director Edgar Wright’s re-working of his story’s explosive climax (via EW):

I like the ending of Edgar’s version of The Running Man very much. Can’t say too much — spoilers — but I think readers of the novel will be satisfied because they get to have it both ways. If you see what I mean, and I’m betting you do.

The book ends with the story’s protagonist Ben Richards hijacking a plane and, having killed the flight crew, crashing it into the building housing the story’s evil mastermind Killian. This nihilistic finale follows upon Richards being told by Killian that his family was murdered.

Richards’ death in the book seems unambiguous, considering not only the fiery plane crash, but the fact that he was already dying from a grievous gunshot wound. Wright’s movie adaptation lightens things up a bit by allowing Richards (Glen Powell) to survive the plane hijacking, and be reunited with his still-living family.

Wright’s version of The Running Man‘s ending still assures that the villainous Killian (Josh Brolin) gets his well-earned comeuppance, as Richards shoots him during a riot at the Running Man studio.

Speaking recently to ScreenRant, Wright discussed the pressure he felt to deliver a Running Man adaptation that would satisfy King, who had to approve the script before the film could go forward:

It was a nerve-wracking moment for me and [co-writer] Michael Bacall to hand in our homework and see what Stephen King thought of our adaptation of his work, but he loved it. But then that’s a blessing and a curse because you already have the pressure of trying to visualize the movie that’s in your head. And because he likes the screenplay, now, I also have to live up to the movie that’s in his head as well.

King’s encouraging sentiments were echoed by original Running Man movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who shared his positive thoughts with remake star Glen Powell. “He loved it – freaked out, was so excited,” Powell shared in a recent interview with ScreenRant.

Critics have been somewhat divided on the new Schwarzenegger-less Running Man, as the film’s barely-fresh 64% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects.

ScreenRant’s own Running Man review calls the film “an undeniably fun time at the movies,” while noting that it does not quite succeed in translating the full impact of King’s original dystopian vision to the screen.

It’s yet to be seen how fully audiences will embrace 2025’s Running Man, but Variety reports that projections have the movie opening somewhere between $20 and $25 million domestically.