Glen Powell Secures Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Blessing for The Running Man Remake
Before stepping into the iconic role for Edgar Wright’s upcoming remake of The Running Man, Glen Powell made it a point to seek the approval of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the original star of the 1987 classic. This thoughtful gesture underscores Powell’s respect for the legacy of the film.
In a light-hearted nod to friendship, Powell relied on Patrick Schwarzenegger—Arnold’s son and an actor from The White Lotus—to facilitate the conversation. “Arnold gave us his blessing,”Powell shared during a recent interview with People. “Patrick Schwarzenegger is a great friend of mine, and I asked him if I could talk to Arnold.”
The rapport between Powell and Schwarzenegger dates back to 2014, when they both appeared in The Expendables 3. Powell humorously recalled that they hadn’t connected since filming, making this recent interaction especially meaningful. To his delight, Schwarzenegger granted Powell his “full blessing”for the role in the new adaptation.
To show his appreciation, Powell hinted at a “very specific gift”for Schwarzenegger, which he plans to unveil soon. “So I’m very excited to see him,”Powell added, reflecting the camaraderie that exists among actors in Hollywood.
At CinemaCon on Thursday, Powell and Wright took the stage to promote the revival of The Running Man, set to release on November 7. They were joined by co-stars Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo, who presented some of the first footage from the film, drawing excitement from fans and industry professionals alike.
Although Wright’s adaptation draws from Stephen King’s 1982 novel—published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman—it will take a different narrative approach from the earlier film that featured Schwarzenegger. The new story is framed within a totalitarian regime that employs lethal game shows as a form of punishment. In this iteration, Powell’s character, Ben Richards, competes in a perilous television contest where contestants must evade deadly pursuers to secure funding for his ailing daughter.
Alongside Powell, the film boasts an impressive cast that includes Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson. The production team features Edgar Wright, Simon Kinberg, and Nira Park, with executive producers George Linder, James Biddle, Rachael Prior, and Audrey Chon, ensuring a robust collaborative effort behind this anticipated project.