Kermode & Mayo’s Take Edgar Wright on THE RUNNING MAN
Nov 13, 2025
Edgar Wright, acclaimed director and screenwriter, shares insights on his adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man. Wright discusses the film's dystopian themes and its relevance in today's world. He reflects on his childhood admiration for King’s works and reveals how the story’s elements resonated with him. The conversation highlights the production nuances, including the casting of Glen Powell and the delicate balance between action and satire. Wright also shares anecdotes about seeking approval from King and ensuring Arnold Schwarzenegger's nod of approval.
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A Long-Germ Project Finally Made
- Wright first engaged with The Running Man decades ago, reading it as a teen and later returning to adapt it.
- He started actively developing the project seriously in 2021 and accelerated production after 2023 strikes ended.
Protagonist Is A Working-Class Everyman
- Wright kept Ben Richards true to King's novel as an ordinary, desperate dad rather than an established action hero.
- Making the protagonist an 'out-of-work dad' preserves the book's moral and social stakes.
Dystopia Feels Uncomfortably Current
- The Running Man's dystopia resonates because King's prescience about media, inequality and spectacle maps onto today's reality.
- Wright aimed to hold a 'funhouse mirror' up to現 reality with genre entertainment that still provokes thought.
