Audiences are finally sharing their thoughts on the new version of The Running Man. As the acclaimed mastermind behind Hot Fuzz and Baby Driver, Edgar Wright undertook the great responsibility to reimagine King’s 1982 story of the same name, which was published under his pseudonym, Richard Bachman. It’s the second adaptation following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version, which was released in 1987.
While critics were mixed to generally positive about the new adaptation, moviegoers are responding more favorably to the new iteration. According to Rotten Tomatoes, The Running Man holds a strong 80% audience score following over 250 verified ratings, while the critical score sits at 64%. If these scores remain, the 2025 version will be a big improvement from the 1987 movie, which earned a 59% critical score and 61% audience score, respectively.
|
Stephen King Adaptations Released In 2025 |
Rotten Tomatoes’ Critical Score |
Rotten Tomatoes’ Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
The Monkey |
77% |
55% |
|
The Life Of Chuck |
80% |
88% |
|
The Long Walk |
88% |
85% |
|
The Institute |
64% |
71% |
|
IT: Welcome To Derry |
78% |
80% |
|
The Running Man |
64% |
80% |
In addition, given that 2025 has been a major year for King adaptations, the streak continues for the iconic author, as nearly all the movies and shows were received favorably by audiences. The only 2025 adaptation that didn’t perform well with viewers was Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, which averaged a 55%, even though the critical score was a strong 77%.
The Running Man is ending the year of King adaptations on a good note, at least in terms of reception. However, regarding the box office, it appears that the 2025 iteration will face challenges as projections indicate anywhere between $17 million and $19 million domestically in its opening weekend. That’s not exactly a great start, given that the reported budget was $110 million.
Wright’s action movie follows Glen Powell’s Ben Richards, who competes in the titular deadly game to help his poor family and sick child. He needs to survive 30 days against hunters to win the big $1 billion prize. Unlike the 1987 version, which was loosely based on the book, Wright’s iteration follows closely to the novel with some changes to The Running Man ending, which was approved by the author himself.
While critics were mixed, King and Schwarzenegger gave their seal of approval to Wright’s adaptation. King called it a “bipartisan thrill ride” and a “Die Hard for our time,” while Schwarzenegger told Powell and Wright that The Running Man was the one movie in his career that he wanted to be redone, saying, “So now this one really upped it and did exactly that. So really fantastic. And the action was unbelievable and creative.“
The Running Man is now playing in theaters.
- Release Date
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November 14, 2025
- Producers
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George Linder, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg