‘The Running Man’ Revival: Why the Viral Dance Craze Is Taking Over TikTok and Gyms in 2025

UPDATED RELEASE DATE SET Paramount Pictures has officially locked in The Running Man for a wide theatrical release on 21 November 2025, shifting the sci-fi thriller two weeks later than earlier projections and planting it firmly in next year’s lucrative holiday corridor. CAST & CREW • Director: Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho) • Lead: Glen Powell steps into the role once made iconic by Arnold Schwarzenegger. • Writers: Wright and longtime collaborator Michael Bacall are scripting from Stephen King’s 1982 novel written under the Richard Bachman pen name. • Producers: Simon Kinberg, Nira Park, and Wright under Complete Fiction. A MORE FAITHFUL KING ADAPTATION Unlike the 1987 cult classic, Wright’s version is being marketed as a “much more faithful” translation of King’s dystopian story about a desperate man literally running for his life on a deadly game-show that keeps a near-future society glued to its screens. Expect less muscle-bound satire and more gritty social commentary that mirrors today’s obsession with reality TV and viral spectacle. PLOT TEASE Set in 2029, condemned “runners” must survive 30 days while nationwide trackers livestream every moment. Ben Richards (Powell) volunteers to earn money for his sick daughter, but soon flips the ratings bonanza into a rebellion against a corrupt media empire. PRODUCTION STATUS Principal photography is scheduled to begin this fall at Leavesden Studios, with location shoots across London to give the film a rain-soaked, neon-flecked aesthetic reminiscent of Blade Runner and Children of Men. WHY THIS MATTERS • Stephen King fandom: first big-budget take on the novel. • Edgar Wright’s kinetic style promises chase sequences shot mostly in-camera. • Glen Powell’s star is surging after Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, making him a bankable action lead. WHAT’S NEXT • First teaser trailer expected summer 2025 during San Diego Comic-Con. • Streaming window: Paramount+ exclusive roughly 45 days after theatrical bow. • Rating anticipated to be R for “strong violent content and language,” aligning with King’s darker tone. KEYWORDS TO WATCH The Running Man remake, Edgar Wright Running Man, Glen Powell Running Man, Stephen King adaptation, Running Man 2025 release date, dystopian game-show thriller.