“I’ll Never Forget”: Glen Powell Reveals Tom Cruise’s Reaction to ‘The Running Man’
Edgar Wright‘s hotly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Running Man isn’t out until November, but one famous fan is already singing its praises. In an interview for the new issue of SFX Magazine via GamesRadar+, Glen Powell shared his experience of watching the film’s CinemaCon teaser for the first time with his old Top Gun: Maverick co-star and friend, Tom Cruise. Ever the proponent of seeing movies on the biggest screen possible, the Mission: Impossible star came away with a very positive reaction, according to Powell, with some high praise for its theatricality. Not only does it bode well for Wright’s take on the action thriller, but it also became an unforgettable memory for its lead, paying off all the hard work he put into the new adaptation.
The Running Man depicts a dystopian future where contestants compete for a cash prize by trying to outrun an elite group of homicidal hunters. Powell takes on the role of Ben Richards, a desperate man who is risking everything to try and earn the money to save his ailing daughter. Contestants have to survive 30 days to win the grand prize of $1 billion, but nobody has ever gotten close to escaping the grasp of the government’s best contract killers. The role of Richards was originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 adaptation of King’s novel, and the Terminator star even gave Powell his blessing when picking up the mantle. Wright co-wrote the screenplay for his version with Michael Bacall.
‘The Running Man’ Boasts a Killer Cast Around Powell
Like Cruise’s big send-off as Ethan Hunt, Powell’s King adaptation is stacked with star power. Josh Brolin plays the twisted producer of the Running Man game show, while Colman Domingo plays its on-air host, commentating over the events of the competition. Domingo’s over-the-top, glitzy-yet-threatening presence was inspired by the late Jerry Springer, whom the Emmy-winning actor cited for his ability to play to the crowd and get the best reactions. Also lining up for the film are Katy O’Brian, Michael Cera, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Karl Glusman, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson, among others.
The Running Man takes off in theaters on November 7. Stay tuned here at Collider until then for more on what to expect from Wright’s take on the novel. Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, meanwhile, will take his final bow with Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning in theaters this Friday, May 23.
