Having starred in the first version of Stephen King’s thriller in 1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger “loved” Glen Powell’s reboot of The Running Man and thinks the new movie is “incredible”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks The Running Man reboot is “incredible”, Glen Powell has said.
The 78-year-old actor starred in the 1987 version of Stephen King’s thriller as protagonist Ben Richards, and Powell, 37, has now revealed Schwarzenegger is a big fan of his upcoming reboot of The Running Man.
During an interview with Screen Rant, the Top Gun: Maverick star said of Schwarzenegger: “He was so excited that the Stephen King book we put on screen – it’s really the first time Stephen’s vision has been properly adapted. He just kept saying, ‘It’s incredible.'”
Powell added the Predator star was impressed by his stunt work in The Running Man.
He said: “He loved it – freaked out, was so excited.
“But the first thing he told me, he goes, ‘This was a very painful movie for you.’ He’s shot so many action movies, and he knows what it takes to throw yourself around.”
The Anyone But You actor reflected on the difficulty of completing stunts for movies, and admitted it was disheartening some viewers don’t realise how much work goes into making action sequences.
He explained: “It’s a process to really sell stunts. From an outsider’s perspective, when you’re watching a movie, you’re like, ‘Okay, I’m sure they’re padded up or whatever,’ but you’re delivering and taking a lot of hits over the course of a movie.
“And Arnold really appreciated that. He’s like, ‘One of the hardest action movies – those are just not easy things to get right.'”
Powell revealed he had also watched the original Running Man film with Schwarzenegger, and recounted the “drama” the 1987 flick went through behind the scenes.
He said: “We watched it privately – Arnold was the only person there with a few of his buddies in the theater. But he was just so excited for us because it [the 1987 version] was one of those movies that had some problems when they were shooting it.
“I think the director [Andrew Davis] dropped out a couple weeks in; there was a lot of drama around it. It’s a really big, ambitious world, and I think they didn’t feel like they had the proper resources to really deliver.”
Powell heaped praise on director Edgar Wright, calling him “one of the greatest filmmakers” who “adds this whole wild tone to the whole thing”.
The Running Man – which is an adaption of King’s 1982 novel of the same name – is set in a dystopian future where the poor are hunted for sport on live TV, and sees desperate contestant Ben Richards (Powell) enter The Running Man game to earn money for his sick daughter.
However, as the odds stack against him, Ben discovers survival means turning the game against its creators.
The Running Man – which hits cinemas on November 14, 2025 – also stars Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Katy O’Brian, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin.
Glen Powell reveals Arnold Schwarzenegger’s reaction to The Running Man reboot
