38 Years Later, This Stephen King Sci-Fi Is the ‘Only’ Film Arnold Schwarzenegger Would Do Again

Prolific author Stephen King has been a Hollywood favorite for decades and has adapted some of his works multiple times. This year, a new adaptation of The Running Man comes after 38 years since the previous one.

In the new version, Glen Powell plays the lead character, Ben Richards, a role previously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The industry titan has been very candid when speaking about the difficulties of the 1987 film, and gave his stamp of approval to Powell’s new version. Talking to CBR’s Grae Drake, Powell revealed Schwarzenegger’s reaction to watching The Running Man, and revealed the Terminator star singled his 1987 film as the “only” movie in his filmography he’d do again.

The Twisters star revealed Schwarzenegger’s review of the film, teasing that he is “obsessed” with the new version. “You know, it’s funny,” Powell started. “We got to show this movie to Arnold Schwarzenegger last night, and the first like it. He is obsessed.”

When Schwarzenegger’s words about the film needing a remake came up, Powell replied, “Yeah, it was actually really crazy. Because, like, last night he said, he said there’s probably only one movie in my entire filmography that I would do again. And he goes, ‘It’s The Running Man.’ “

He continued, “Because he said it was, like, it was a time where they didn’t have the resources. I think the director dropped out. It was kind of a chaotic thing, and they had to isolate it in the studio.” While Schwarzenegger would redo his version, Powell revealed he was “excited for us that we got to put the Stephen King adaptation on screen for the first time.”

He continued, “He’s like the movie. I mean, the book is literally about a guy who’s literally released out into the world, so the entire world gets to hunt him. And they, for practical reasons, had to kind of isolate it to sort of like an American Gladiators type of studio. The movie’s still fun.”

Powell has been very upfront about how physically draining shooting was, and admitted, “It was so interesting to hear that from Arnold, you know, his perspective on what we got to make, and how intense, you know, he was like, ‘That was obviously going to be a hard shoot.’ “

Arnold Schwarzenegger Previously Addressed The Running Man’s Woes

Glenn Powell in The Running ManImage via Paramount Pictures

Schwarzenegger has starred in dozens of films over the years, but the ’80s catapulted him into international stardom with 1982’s Conan the Barbarian, 1984’s The Terminator, and 1987’s Predator. The same year as the iconic sci-fi film, which kicked off a major franchise, he also starred in The Running Man.

Earlier this year, during CBR’s Draw edition, Schwarzenegger addressed the remake and admitted his classic could’ve been “better.” He said, “I mean, I love the idea that they’re doing a sequel to Running Man, or a remake,” Schwarzenegger said.

He continued, “I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I mean, because I always felt when we did, Running Man was one of the movies that it did, that it felt like, I think it would have been great if we would have been better prepared for this movie, if we would have had more money for this movie, and if we would have had then… the visual effects, the technology of visual effects, that they have today, all of those things I wished after the movie came out, I felt like it could have been better.”

The new version of The Running Man stars Powell and comes from director Edgar Wright, with a script by Wright and Michael Bacall. Its star-studded cast also features Emilia Jones, Lee Pace, Katy O’Brian, Josh Brolin, William H. Macy, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, David Zayas, and Sean Hayes.

The Running Man premieres in theaters on Nov. 14.

Release Date

November 14, 2025

Director

Edgar Wright

Producers

George Linder, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg

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