Edgar Wright’s The Running Man was released on November 14 and has received mixed reactions, currently holding a 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The original adaptation was released in 1987. Steven E. de Souza, the screenwriter for the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, reflected on the 2025 remake starring Glen Powell, specifically the initial box-office troubles. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, de Souza explained that he was “totally rooting for it,” saying that multiple audiences’ turnout for the new version would likely push viewers to explore the original, highlighting that both longtime fans and supporters of Powell would be drawn to see the film. De Souza pointed out that among the many reviews, both positive and negative, there was a common critique: that the remake “stumbles at the end.”
De Souza stated that “on paper, they got the ending working,” but added, “It seems to me that this time around, something went wrong between the page and the stage again.” As a screenwriter, de Souza thought that the central issue in both adaptations was translating the Stephen King novel, noting that “the book’s ending is a downer, so you need a new ending.” According to him, “both the ’87 version and this version tweak the ending in pretty much the same way, except that in our version, we had less money.” The 1987 version had a budget of $27 million, while the 2025 adaptation had almost four times the original, estimated at $110 million.
Despite the leading man and the stronger resources, de Souza suggested that the final act still failed to achieve much emotional depth or hit the mark narratively. At the end of the interview, de Souza jokingly said, “Maybe the third version in 2045 will stick the landing.”
Overall, de Souza, while supportive of the filmmakers and the film, expressed hope that with the new version, our attention on the franchise could more specifically spotlight the original adaptation.
Leave a Comment