Edgar Wright meets Stephen King: A dynamic pairing of creatives. Fans will be delighted to learn that the Shaun of the Dead filmmaker will tackle a new adaptation of King’s novel, The Running Man. Deadline reports that Paramount Pictures has penned a deal with Wright to bring a version of this film to a new generation.
But don’t expect a straight-up remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film of the same. This version is reportedly closer to the novel, which King penned in 1982 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Wright will co-write the story with Michael Bacall, as Bacall will handle scripting duties.
Edgar Wright is known for being very picky about the films he tackles, only making one other major adaptation before with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Deadline reports that the idea of remaking this film has always intrigued the filmmaker, even mentioning this as the one remake he’d do back in a 2017 interview.
The Running Man is a dystopian thriller, which follows protagonist Ben Richards as he participates in the game show The Running Man in which contestants, allowed to go anywhere in the world, are chased by “Hunters.” There’s a bit of a “pop culture” and politics energy to the novel, which fits Wright’s style.
The 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was very loosely based on the novel and only saw moderate box office success. King has gone on record saying he is not a fan of the film or Schwarzenegger’s casting in the lead role.
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Deadline notes that Edgar Wright’s The Running Man is a “top priority” for Paramount.
