2 Thoughts We Had While Watching Glen Powell in Stephen King’s ‘Running Man’ Trailer

When the trailer for the new Running Man remake dropped, we were expecting dystopian chaos, maybe some throwback ‘80s nods, and a solid Stephen King creep factor. What we weren’t expecting was Glen Powell showing up looking like he’s simultaneously running from the government, a group of assassins, and the perfect endorser for tighty-whities. 

Adapted from King’s 1982 novel, this version feels grittier, faster, and way more relevant in today’s world. 

To be fair, King did write the novel in 1982, so his idea of desperate people being used as pawns in a twisted form of entertainment like Squid Game was ahead of its time. Plus, public bloodsport with the whole nation watching, and one motivated individual trying to bring down the system is giving us Katniss Everdeen vibes. Of course, all of this lawless violence with just enough government structure to pretend it’s legal is what we have also seen in The Purge. 

You would think that a film about a game show where people are chased by murderous Hunters across the world to win money would be bleak and will always have you catching your breath and your blood pressure shooting up. But based on the trailer (it’s NSFW, so just watch it here), the movie is also funny, thanks to its leading man, Powell. We saw him tell Dan Killian, the show’s producer, played by Josh Brolin, to “kiss my a— twice” before slapping his own twice behind, then flipping him.  

There’s also another scene where he was almost roasted alive but still managed to survive, much to his own surprise, and turns to the camera and says, “I’m still here, you s—t eaters,” before flipping the bird again. Towards the end of the trailer, we also see Michael Cera, whom we had to pause the trailer for because we didn’t recognize him, providing comic relief. He traps some of the soldiers hunting Powell and fires at them with a water gun, prompting Powell to ask, “Are you crazy?” The soldiers, unaware they’re standing on live wires, get electrocuted while Cera laughs maniacally, still spraying them with water. 

Between the timely social commentary, the stylish visuals, and Powell hanging outside a building, all sweaty, and only wearing a blanket, this Running Man reboot might just be our next big dystopian obsession. And if this turns into a franchise? Let’s just say we’re the first ones to call it.