Stephen King in conversation with Edgar Wright
Setting the scene for The Running Man
In a remarkable year for film adaptations of Stephen King’s stories, Edgar Wright, director of The Running Man, discusses with King the themes of media control, genre appeal, and how reality has edged closer to the dystopian vision King imagined.
“Welcome to America in 2025 when the best men don’t run for president. They run for their lives…”
This tagline from the original book jacket captures the essence of King’s The Running Man, portraying a future where a government-run TV network distracts the population with a violent gameshow.
Origins and publication history
Though published in 1982, King actually wrote the novella under the pseudonym Richard Bachman a decade earlier. It received broader recognition in 1985 when included in The Bachman Books, alongside his early novellas such as Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), and Roadwork (1981).
Film adaptations and legacy
In 1987, Paul Michael Glaser directed a loose film adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, the story’s everyman hero. While it retained the concept of the deadly TV show, it diverged greatly from the source material.
Now, Edgar Wright’s version is scheduled for release in 2025, the year in which King originally set his story—once a distant future that now feels uncannily close.
Author's reflection on time and future
King once said, “When I wrote The Running Man, 2025 seemed so far in the future that I couldn’t even grasp it in my mind.”
Summary: Stephen King’s visionary novella “The Running Man,” written decades ago, is eerily reflected in today’s reality, inspiring a faithful film adaptation releasing in the novel’s year 2025.