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It’s showtime! The second trailer is here for Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian thriller The Running Man.
This time, it is accompanied by ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down and with an emphasis on fun!
The book was first published in 1982 under pseudonym Richard Bachman. King wrote The Running Man in less than a week. It’s unclear how much cocaine was involved.
The Running Man was previously adapted into the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, which is an underrated masterpiece in my opinion, although nothing like the book. The only link is the character names, the dystopian near-future setting and the basic concept of a gameshow that kills its contestants.
The 1987 movie is a WWE-style spectacular with cartoon gladiators, pyrotechnics and sexy dancers. It feels vibrant and interactive, as the movie cuts from the show itself to the goings on behind the scenes to reaction shots of different groups of viewers. Richard Dawson should have been nominated for awards for his performance as sleazebag gameshow host Damon Killian, but I suppose the role wasn’t much of a stretch for him.
A novel approach
I’m happy to give this Glen Powell version a try because it’s not a remake. It’s another take on the source material that, from the trailers at least, seem much closer to the book in terms of the story, if not the tone.
The action has been dialled up to 11 and there’s still an element of pizazz about the whole enterprise. I have no issue with that. As great as the book is, it’s not that cinematic and needs some sort of embellishment for the big screen. I am concerned about the bouncy tone of this trailer in what is meant to be a dystopian world, but it might work.
I’ll keep things spoiler free if you haven’t read the book, but the trailer suggests that that may be flirting with the same ending as the novel. Now that would be something.
The Running Man will be released in theatres on 7 November.
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