Summary
Glen Powell has explained whyThe Running Manis a dream project. Ahead of theupcomingThe Running Man, the star has a string of hits under his belt after having held a supporting role opposite Tom Cruise and Miles Teller in the 2022 legacy sequelTop Gun: Maverick, which became the fifth highest-grossing domestic movie of all time. He followed that by starring in the $220 million rom-com sleeper hitAnyone But Youin 2023 and the 2024 smashTwisters, which has grossed $337.6 million so far, making it the ninth highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide.
Colliderrecently spoke with Glen Powell while he was promoting the Audible originalThe Best Man’s Ghostwriter, but the topic quickly turned toThe Running Man. The actor expressed his excitement for the project, which he said he expects to begin shooting “a couple of months from now.” He explained that Edgar Wright, who will be helming the adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name,has been “at the top of my bucket list of directors” since “very early on.“Read Powell’s full quote below:
Edgar is the greatest. I love that man. He’s been at the top of my bucket list of directors. It’s so funny, I searched Edgar’s name in my email recently, and I found a wish list from very early on when I moved out to L.A., and he was at the top of my wish list of directors I wanted to work with. I think he’s brilliant. He’s a great guy and a great friend. I think we’re gonna make something really special. I don’t have the exact date [for production], but it’s probably a couple of months from now, or something.
Glen Powell Is Expanding His Repertoire Of Notable Directors
Edgar Wright Will Become One Of Powell’s Most Prominent Collaborators
It makes sense that Powell has a bucket list of directors, because his work with Wrightreflects a recent expansion of his roster of collaborations with notable filmmakers. Although in the past he has worked with prominent directors, including Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids 3: Game Over), Denzel Washington (The Great Debaters), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), he has spent the most time collaborating withBoyhoodandBefore Sunrisedirector Richard Linklater, working together on a variety of projects. Below, see a full breakdown of the roles that Powell has played in Linklater movies:
Hit Man (2024)
Gary Johnson
Since the 2020s,Powell has been working with notable directors more and more frequently, corresponding with his rise as a major movie star. This includes working withTron: Legacy’s Joseph Kosinski onTop Gun: Maverick,Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung onTwisters, andThe Blind Side’s John Lee Hancock on the upcomingMonsanto. His collaborations with Linklater have also not slowed down, as he co-wroteHit Manwith the director in addition to starring in the movie.
However,The Running Mandirector Edgar Wright is one of his most notable director collaborators yet. The filmmaker is best known for helming the Cornetto trilogy, which is composed of the moviesShaun of the Dead,Hot Fuzz, andThe World’s End, but every movie he has directed since 2004, includingScott Pilgrim vs. the WorldandBabyDriver,has been Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The newStephen King moviecould very well follow suit and become a huge stepping stone for Powell as his star continues to rise.
The Running Man
Cast
The Running Man is a dystopian action film set in a 2017 totalitarian state where the government uses deadly game shows to control the populace. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a framed convict navigating the lethal challenges of the televised spectacle The Running Man, hosted by the relentless Damon Killian.
