The Running Man Reboot Happening Sooner Than We Thought
Writer/Producer Simon Kinberg is producing a reboot of the cult-classic 1987 film The Running Man, and it could go into production sooner than you think. The long-talked-about reboot of the dystopian reality TV satire has seemingly been in development limbo for a while, but according to Kinberg, that’s no longer the case. In a recent interview with Slash Film, Kinberg said that if all goes well, The Running Man could start production as early as next year with Edgar Wright at the helm.
Filmmaker Simon Kinberg says that Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man could start filming as early as 2024.
“Our hope would be that it is a movie that, again, all fingers crossed and luck and everything else go our way, that Edgar (Wright) could maybe direct next year,” Kinberg told Slash Film. In the same interview, Kinberg mentioned that he and Wright were “working on it [The Running Man] actively” and that Wright was “actively working on the script with Michael Bacall.”
“I’ve chased Edgar for everything. I’ve chased Edgar for X-Men movies. I’ve chased him for literally every possible thing. We have talked about every movie. So yeah, this one would be a big dream.”
-Simon Kinberg on Edgar Wright
Kinberg went on to gush about Edgar Wright’s passion for the project, citing an old tweet from the director in which Wright said that if he had the opportunity to remake any movie, it would be “Running Man.” Kinberg used the fact that Wright’s tweet predates Paramount getting the rights to remake the film as proof that his enthusiasm for the production is genuine.
The producer also confessed his own excitement about finally getting to work with Wright after years of trying and failing to do so. “I’ve chased Edgar for everything.” Admitted Kinberg. I’ve chased Edgar for X-Men movies. I’ve chased him for literally every possible thing. We have talked about every movie. So yeah, this one would be a big dream.”
The original The Running Man was a 1987 dystopian thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was set in the—then—far future of 2019 and featured a violent reality show where trained mercenaries called “stalkers” hunt contestants called “runners” to death. The movie predates both Battle Royale and The Hunger Games and was an obvious influence on both franchises.
The Running Man was a loose adaptation of a 1982 novel of the same name by Stephen King, which he wrote under the pen name Richard Bachman. Kinberg certainly talks as though he and Wright are making a reboot of the 1987 movie, but it’s possible that their adaptation of The Running Man could end up being closer to the book than Arnie’s action spectacle was.
The 21st-century trend for many reboots of popular movies based on books is to make the new film hew closer to the source material in an effort to differentiate it from the earlier movie.
“Our hope would be that it is a movie that, again, all fingers crossed and luck and everything else go our way, that Edgar (Wright) could maybe direct next year.”
-Simon Kinberg on The Running Man
Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes reboot, The Cohen Brothers’ 2010 version of True Grit, and 2012 Total Recall all drew influence from the source material in ways the previous movies didn’t. With both creators being big fans of the 1987 film, it’s entirely possible that Kinberg’s The Running Man will buck that trend and only adapt elements of the movie.
Either way, with Edgar Wright at the helm, The Running Man remake is sure to be a kinetic, supercharged thrill ride regardless of its source material. The only question is, will Arnold Schwarzenneger “be back” for the reboot?
