Premiere - The Running Man London Premiere : Glen Powell and Edgar Wright Electrify Leicester Square with a Darker, Sharper Take on the Classic

By Mulder, London, The Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, 05 november 2025

The London premiere of The Running Man at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on November 5, 2025, unfolded like a charged declaration that this long-awaited adaptation was never meant to simply join the Hollywood carousel of remakes—it was designed to redefine it. With Edgar Wright, Glen Powell, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, and Emilia Jones walking the blue carpet beneath the glow of Leicester Square’s iconic marquees, there was an immediate sense that this evening carried more weight than the typical blockbuster rollout. Guests and press arriving early were treated to a palpable buzz, the kind that threads through a premiere when the director’s passion for the material is practically folklore at this point. Those who have followed the project since Edgar Wright first mentioned his dream of adapting The Running Man years ago knew they were witnessing the culmination of an unusually personal creative pursuit. This energy filled the room even before the lights dimmed, revealing the unique alchemy between a beloved source material, a visionary filmmaker, and a cast brimming with electric charisma. Between flashes from the photographers of Getty Images and Mulderville and the excited murmurs about the film’s early reactions from CinemaCon, the London premiere already felt like a cultural moment—one fueled by anticipation, cinematic history, and Wright’s unmistakable stamp.

From the moment the first trailer dropped back on July 1—with Glen Powell cleverly appearing in influencer Ashton Hall’s faux-candid morning video—the film has positioned itself at the crossroads of art and media commentary. The premiere echoed that strategy perfectly; as cast members and attendees discussed the film, it became increasingly clear how intimately The Running Man engages with contemporary anxieties. Adapted faithfully from the 1982 novel by Stephen King, written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, this version digs into themes of societal decay, media exploitation, and the intoxicating danger of spectator culture—concepts that feel uncomfortably close to reality in 2025. As guests recalled, the footage shown at CinemaCon earlier this year, introduced by Edgar Wright, Glen Powell, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin, set the tone for a film with a frenetic aesthetic, razor-sharp satire, and the emotional tension of a man pushed to the edge. During the premiere, one attendee shared an anecdote about the production’s immense scale, particularly the sequences filmed inside Wembley Stadium—reportedly among the most ambitious visual set pieces of Wright’s career. The film’s immersive worldbuilding and commitment to the book’s gritty anger were the recurring talking points throughout the theater lobby, as veterans of the industry compared it to the director’s previous works like Baby Driver, citing the same pulse-quickening rhythm but infused with an even darker narrative urgency.

What stood out most during the evening was the cast’s enthusiastic discussion of their roles, particularly Glen Powell’s transformation into Ben Richards, a character far removed from the musclebound hero portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. Powell shared a small moment backstage with London journalists, admitting that he reached out to Arnold Schwarzenegger before taking the role and received nothing but warmth and encouragement—an anecdote that seemed to bridge two eras of storytelling. Colman Domingo, magnetic as always, spoke about embracing the complexity of Dan Killian, the show’s calculating producer whose charm hides a ruthlessness that defines the core of the story. Fans of Stephen King’s novel reminisced about how the original narrative always leaned into anger and desperation rather than spectacle, and the cast repeatedly emphasized that Wright’s direction honored exactly that. Conversations drifted toward the book’s haunting mathematics—the way each hour alive earns Ben Richards $100, how every step is an exercise in survival rather than heroism—and how the film captures the feeling of a society addicted to cruelty, surveillance, and the adrenaline of televised suffering. As attendees reflected on the story’s ghostly relevance in an era of AI-filtered feeds, algorithm-driven entertainment, and humanity packaged as content, the atmosphere outside the venue felt strangely introspective for a high-profile premiere.

Inside the auditorium, the film’s technical brilliance became an immediate talking point. The cinematography by Chung Chung-hoon, paired with editing by Paul Machliss, pushed the narrative with an intensity audiences described as “relentless but purposeful,” weaving satire, black comedy, and white-knuckle action with the kind of stylistic confidence movie lovers have come to expect from Edgar Wright. As attendees filtered out afterward, several noted how the remixed use of Underdog by Sly and the Family Stone in the film’s promotional materials had primed them for a kinetic experience—but the full context of the soundtrack within the film delivered something even more exhilarating. Members of the production team shared anecdotes from the shoot, including the challenge of filming lengthy chase sequences across London streets during the winter months of 2024–2025, a testament to the dedication of everyone involved—from Michael Bacall’s screenplay contributions to the unshakeable support from producers Nira Park and Simon Kinberg. The black comedy woven into the story gave premiere-goers plenty to dissect, especially the scenes exposing the grotesque machinery of media manipulation behind The Running Man game show. Some found themselves joking about how eerily similar the fictional Games Network feels to modern streaming platforms, where the line between entertainment and obsession is always shifting.

By the time the night wound to a close, the sentiment around Leicester Square was unmistakable: The Running Man has arrived at precisely the right moment. In a year defined by debates over digital privacy, global media influence, and the erosion of personal freedoms, this film positions itself not just as a thrill ride but as a stark warning dressed in neon adrenaline. Many attendees remarked that this might be Edgar Wright’s most important project to date—a film that honors Stephen King’s raw storytelling while becoming something wholly its own. With a cast led by Glen Powell, supported by William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Sean Hayes, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin, the film pulses with the kind of ensemble energy that only comes from a team fully committed to the story’s message. As the official release approaches—November 14 in the United States and November 19 in France—there is little doubt that audiences worldwide will be confronted with a version of The Running Man that is terrifying, incisive, and deeply relevant. The London premiere confirmed what fans had long hoped: this is not just another adaptation. It is the adaptation the story always deserved—uncompromising, bold, and unforgettable.

Discover the official red carpet interviews :

itw Edgar Wright 

itw Glen Powell 

itw Colman Domingo 

itw Emilia Jones 

itw Lee Pace 

itw Sandra Dickinson 

Synopsis :
In the near future, The Running Man is the number one show on television: a ruthless survival game where contestants, known as Runners, must escape professional killers for 30 days, under the watchful eye of a captivated audience. Each day that passes increases the prize money—and provides an ever-more intense adrenaline rush. Ben Richards, a desperate worker willing to do anything to save his seriously ill daughter, accepts the unthinkable: to take part in this deadly show, pushed by Dan Killian, its charismatic and cruel producer. But no one could have predicted that Ben, with his will to live, his instincts, and his determination, would become a true hero of the people... and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, the danger escalates. Ben will have to face much more than the Hunters: he will have to face an entire country addicted to seeing him fall.

The Running Man
Directed by Edgar Wright
Written by Michael Bacall, Edgar Wright
Based on The Running Man by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)
Produced by Edgar Wright, Nira Park, Simon Kinberg
Starring Glen Powell, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Sean Hayes, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin
Cinematography : Chung Chung-hoon
Edited by Paul Machliss 
Production companies : Genre Films, Complete Fiction
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release date : November 14, 2025 (United States), November 19, 2025 (France)

Photos : Getty Images / Paramount Pictures