How Stephen King Feels About The Running Man Remake's Completely New Ending

Major spoilers ahead for "The Running Man."

If there was one thing about Edgar Wright's "The Running Man" that seemed certain in advance, it was that the movie's ending would differ from Stephen King's 1982 book. Wright was even on record saying that the Glen Powell version of the story would change the original ending. And yet, despite its Arnold Schwarzenegger "cameo" and other references to the original 1987 movie, the 2025 film's plot veers far closer to the novel. So close, in fact, that it's easy to start wondering: Are they really going to include King's original ending? Is Wright really going to have Ben Richards (Glen Powell) crash a plane into a building in a movie made post-9/11?

But of course, that doesn't happen. While Ben does board a plane with dark intentions, it's promptly shot down. While the network is happy to pronounce him dead, Ben has managed to use an escape pod and uses his finely-tuned evasion skills to live in the shadows. He later reemerges as the figurehead of a rebellion, storming the studio to defeat Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) during the kick-off of a new season of "The Running Man."

Like the rest of the script, the changed ending obviously went by King — who, much to Wright's relief, liked what he saw. Ahead of the movie's release, King confirmed his fondness for the ending in particular to Entertainment Weekly:

"I like the ending of Edgar's version of 'The Running Man' very much. Can't say too much — spoilers — but I think readers of the novel will be satisfied because they get to have it both ways. If you see what I mean, and I'm betting you do."

Edgar Wright also shared King's impressions about the movie. The director told Entertainment Weekly that the author was impressed with the way the 2025 "The Running Man" manages the careful balancing act of honoring the source material while also throwing in some surprises:

"[King] watched the film recently, and one thing he said that I really liked, he said, 'It's much more faithful to the book, but different enough to keep it exciting for me. I thought that that was the best answer, is that it's more faithful to the book than the previous adaptation, but it does have changes and twists. So I think like Ben Richards, you want to keep readers of the book on the back foot as well."

The ending of Wright's movie, in particular, is notable for starting out much like the novel's endgame, but then transitioning into a scene that's not awfully dissimilar to the 1987 film's ending. The Schwarzenegger movie, after all, also features a rebel force that attacks the studio, with Ben Richards personally disposing of Killian (Richard Dawson) as the cameras roll. It's a twist that manages to both dodge the unadaptable aspects of the original ending and briskly nod at the 1980s adaptation — and even though Wright's "The Running Man" isn't perfect, it's easy to appreciate the ingenuity of this solution.

"The Running Man" is now in theaters.