Edgar Wright drops the first trailer for The Running Man starring Glen Powell in a deadly game show

Paramount has unveiled the first full trailer for Edgar Wright’s long-gestating adaptation of The Running Man. The two-minute preview sets up a grim near-future where cash-strapped citizens can volunteer for a month-long televised manhunt. Paramount Pictures has slated The Running Man for a wide theatrical release on November 7, 2025.

Glen Powell’s blue-collar Ben Richards joins the lethal contest to fund treatment for his sick daughter, knowing no “Runner” has ever survived the 30-day chase. Wright’s trademark kinetic editing, pulsating ’80s synth, and splashes of gallows humor frame the violence, hinting at a stylized, but grounded take on Stephen King’s 1982 novel.

Trailer teases ruthless spectacle

The footage opens with Richards in cuffs on a garish studio set, jeered by a bloodthirsty crowd. Broadcast titan Bobby T. (Colman Domingo) promises viewers “the most dangerous season yet” before unleashing masked Hunters armed with drones and thermal scopes.

Quick cuts show Glasgow streets standing in for a collapsed America, a high-speed pursuit through Wembley Stadium, and Powell exchanging blows with Lee Pace’s blade-wielding McCone. A remix of Sly & the Family Stone’s “Underdog” underlines Wright’s retro flair.

A novel-faithful storyline

Wright stresses that his film follows King’s book rather than the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle. As per the Entertainment Weekly exclusive interview dated July 1, 2025, Wright said,

"In the ’87 film, they’re mostly in an arena setting… contestants are just out in the world, so it’s almost like the deadliest game of hide and seek.”

The director and co-writer, Michael Bacall, keeps the contest nationwide: Richards can flee anywhere, but every citizen is incentivised to turn him in. Survival earns escalating cash bonuses that peak at $1 billion on day 30, raising the stakes far beyond the earlier movie.

Star-studded ensemble of The Running Man:

Glen Powell leads a cast packed with Oscar and Emmy talent

1) Josh Brolin plays Dan Killian, the show’s manipulative architect.

2) Colman Domingo hosts with gaudy charisma, modelling his look on Jerry Springer.

3) Lee Pace and Karl Glusman lead the Hunters, while Katy O’Brian and Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy join Richards as fellow Runners.

4) William H. Macy, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, and Jayme Lawson round out the supporting roster.

Powell embraced a bruising training regimen to sell the everyman-turned-survivor. As per Entertainment Weekly's exclusive dated July 1, 2025, he remarked,

"Ben's got a bone to pick with the world. It's a different gear, you know. Edgar always calls it 'Bad Mood Glen.' He's like, 'Hey, I need more Bad Mood Glen!”

Production and visual influences

Principal photography of The Running Man ran from November 2024 to March 2025 across Glasgow, Leavesden, Wembley, and Bulgaria. Production designer Marcus Rowland mined classics like Rollerball and Escape From New York to craft a future that feels frozen in 1985.

Stunt teams included ex-SAS trainers, and many chase sequences were timed to music on set, a Wright hallmark dating back to Baby Driver. Paramount will release The Running Man exclusively in theaters on November 7, 2025, positioning it opposite Predator: Badlands for an 80s-franchise showdown.

Wright’s adaptation restores the novel’s nationwide manhunt, sharper social satire, and Richards’ desperation for medical bills absent from the 1987 film. The Running Man trailer suggests a breakneck thriller that pairs Wright’s visual panache with King’s bleak commentary on media and inequality.

Stay tuned for more updates.