Stephen King Had Final Approval Over Running Man's Most Important Star

Glen Powell has come a long way since becoming the internet's boyfriend with "Anyone But You" back in 2023. Now fronting Edgar Wright's "The Running Man" remake following memorable turns in "Twisters" and "Hit Man," Powell is poised to become a fully fledged movie star, but it seems he wasn't allowed to do so without Stephen King's blessing. The legendary author is responsible for the 1982 novel on which "The Running Man" is based, and given his well-known interest in film generally, he was always going to have to approve whoever was cast in the lead role of Ben Richards. For Powell, such a thing was nerve-wracking to say the least.

The star spoke about his casting experience during New York Comic Con (via People) revealing that when Wright offered him the lead he initially thought he was good to go. "Edgar offered me this movie, and I was like, 'Yes.' I'm like, 'Let's go...'" he recalled. "And then, later that night [Wright said], 'By the way, like, you have to be approved by Stephen King. He's gonna watch 'Hit Man' tonight." Powell charmed his way through Richard Linklater's 2023 Netflix crime comedy, proving he had leading man chops ahead of the arrival of "Anyone But You." It was this film that King used to gauge his potential. Powell continued, "So, I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch 'Hit Man' and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It's terrible."

King has made no secret of his love for movies, using social media to provide his two cents on films, most recently with a two-sentence review for "Black Phone 2." As such, he was never going to be blasé about "The Running Man" casting. Thankfully it seems Powell impressed him.

2025 is shaping up to deliver nothing less than an onslaught of Stephen King media, with the "It" prequel series "It: Welcome to Derry" hitting HBO Max, the adaptation of King's novel "The Long Walk" emotionally obliterating anyone who watches, and now "The Running Man." The film sees Glen Powell's Ben Richards take part in a reality game show wherein he has to survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins in order to win $1 billion. Blacklisted from employment and desperate to provide his sick daughter with the care she needs, Richards proves to be adept at surviving the deadly game, quickly becoming a fan-favorite. But with viewers eager to see him finally taken down, the determined father has to use every skill at his disposal to make it to the finish line.

This film and all the other King-based media comes alongside a steady stream of takes from the master of horror, who evidently is a fan of 2025 romantic horror movie "Together" and wishes he saw "Companion" in theaters. As such, it will be interesting to see how "The Running Man" fares, not only in general terms at a time when the box office seems to be taking the film industry in the wrong direction, but in comparison to the other films and shows based on the author's work. It's also a big test for Glen Powell whose only major movie release since "Anyone But You" has been "Twisters." Clearly, King thinks he's up to the task, so who are we to question that seal of approval? We'll have to see how things play out when "The Running Man" hits theaters on November 14, 2025.