Somehow, Nick Jonas ended up with Glen Powell’s pants this week. The singer was getting ready for Jimmy Fallon and noticed something funny about his pants. Fans on the Internet quickly wondered if anyone had washed the pants in question.
Priya Pathayan spoke for all of us. She pondered, “Not ewwww at all?! Why aren’t they getting the clothes laundered before sending to the next person? I would die of the ick if this ever happened to me!” Some of us might not mind sharing a pair of pants with Glen Powell. Not to be too weird about it! If anything, it makes for an amazing story on social media. Now, we wait for a movie to be made about this random post with baited breath.
“I’m here at Jimmy Fallon to perform ‘Gut Punch,’ but before the performance, I was changing into my outfit. A lot of times, a brand will lend you something to wear for a big TV performance or something like that,” Jonas began. “In the past, there’s been times I’ve reached into the pocket and found various things from the last person that the brand lent that thing to. So I put these pants on that I’m wearing right here and I reached into the pocket and I’m like, ‘Oh there’s something in there.’ And I see that it’s a plane ticket.”
“And I’m like, ‘Who could this plane ticket belong to?’ I open it up and, of course, it belongs to Glen Powell. Of all people, Glen Powell. My friend, Glen Powell. His plane ticket,” Jonas shared. “He wore these before me. It’s the brotherhood of the traveling pants.” Now, that’s a delightful image for a multitude of reasons. But, these kinds of interesting events just kind of happen on social media.
Glen Powell responds to Nick Jonas pants mix-up
(Jerod Harris/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
Ever the charmer, Powell quipped, “They didn’t wash these for you?!? I feel like the Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants should incorporate some sort of hygiene pact.” Jonas reacted by saying he thought the pants were dry cleaned. It’s a wild time all the way around. If we’re just calling it the “Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants,” who are the other members? The Internet is nostalgia-based now. So, we got to have the entire crew to fill this roster out. I look forward to the fan casting on social media, regardless.
For The Running Man star, We can add this to the pile of relatable social media incidents that involve his name. Powell just can’t help falling into these funny situations. This time he didn’t even have to do anything, all he did was put on a pair of pants. For Jonas, now a bunch of people know about wardrobing and scripting for these live performances. Just a strange news story with no life or death stakes. And honestly, we’ll take that to send us into the weekend.
For someone like me, who loves movies about music, I have been very excited about Judd Apatow and Glen Powell’s new comedy. The film is set to focus on a country star who has fallen from grace. And now the rest of the cast is shaping up to be exciting!
Co-written by Powell and Apatow, the Trainwreck director is set to direct and produce with Powell starring and producing with his production company, Barnstorm. But now the cast is filling out with fan favorites! It was announced this week that both Cristin Milioti and Madelyn Cline will join Powell in the cast.
Outside of this, we don’t know much else about the film. But given Milioti’s own musical history and Cline’s recent virality for her own singing, it does seem like the two could end up singing along side Powell’s country music star.
Movies like this are fun to me, especially as someone who loves movies like Crazy Heart. Exploring a musician’s struggle with the downside of fame (or the loss of it) fascinates me. Whether it be a drama or a comedic look at the music industry, it is an aspect of the entertainment world that is ripe for interesting storylines.
And I am someone who does love a lot of Apatow’s films and I do love what Powell is doing with his writing career. So while we don’t know much about this film, there are a lot of moving parts about it that fascinate me. I don’t think this is going to lean into movies like Walk Hard or be a more “serious” take on things. But Apatow and Powell both have a unique way of telling comedic stories and I think their styles will blend well together.
And with Milioti and Cline joining Powell? I’m so in.
(featured image: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Monica Schipper/Getty Images/Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is the Editor in Chief of the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
Within the film’s deadly reality series of the same name, Pace plays Evan McCone, the chief Hunter who’s tasked with eliminating Glen Powell’s Runner character, Ben Richards. McCone and the game show’s executive producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), prey on the desperation of innocent people like Richards, all while manipulating their audience through disinformation and deepfake technology to believe that the Network and its Hunters are only ridding the country of criminals and ne’er-do-wells. McCone and his Hunters then benefit from their manufactured lies when misled civilians step up to aid their murderous efforts.
There may be some commonalities between the dystopian world of The Running Man and the real world right now, but Pace is more optimistic when comparing our present day to the satire Stephen King published in 1982.
“[The Running Man] was Stephen King’s, as Richard Bachman, interpretation of what 2025 might look like when he was writing back in 1981,” Pace tells The Hollywood Reporter. “He was sensitive to a growing hostility in this country, but the good news is we don’t live in a world where The Running Man is possible. I still hope the audience finds it thought-provoking, including what it says about media, power and violence.”
The fictional Running Man series’ ability to manipulate through the guise of populist entertainment also has Pace contemplating his own lifelong devotion to entertaining people, albeit in a much more responsible way.
“There have been many times where I have felt like a deeply unserious person by pursuing this with my life,” Pace says. “But the older I get and the more opportunities I get to do it, I now feel like the ability to entertain people is such a worthy thing to do with your life.”
The Running Man illustrates all the terrifying ways that our evolving technology can be used against us, and so Pace can’t help but wonder how his Halt and Catch Fire character, Joe MacMillan, would engage with today’s breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality. MacMillan could be described as one of the earliest “tech bros,” as his fictional work in the ‘80s and ‘90s arguably helped put us on this current path. MacMillan may have ended the AMC series by exiting the tech industry in favor of being a humanities teacher, but Pace is of the mind that Big Tech hasn’t heard the last of him.
“I don’t think Joe McMillan ever retires. I can’t imagine what he would do with his time if he wasn’t looking forward and trying to see which way the wind blows,” Pace says. “So I think that his story continues in an interesting way, and I would be fascinated to see what [Halt co-creators] Chris Rogers and Chris Cantwell would imagine Joe MacMillan to be doing in this time.”
Below, during a conversation with THR, Pace also discusses his primary motivation on the Running Man set, as well as how Halt and Catch Fire lasted for four seasons despite being one of the lowest-rated cable series on television.
***
When Edgar Wright offered you the chance to play a masked man named McCone, how did that conversation go?
First, to get a call from Edgar Wright, saying, “I want you to be a part of my film,” it was such a pinch-me moment. I’m such a fan of his. He described what he wanted to make and what he wanted out of this character, and I was like, “Yeah, this sounds like great fun.” And I have to say, from that first conversation and the script that I read to the movie that I saw, it’s exactly the same. He made exactly the movie that he had in mind before we started filming.
Lee Pace stars as McCone in The Running Man.
Paramount Pictures
McCone’s got a secret. Did that third-act reveal tip the scales as far as your commitment?
Yeah, he’s a complicated character. He’s mysterious, and he withholds a lot throughout most of the movie. I like a mysterious character. Then the complexity of him emerges towards the end, and I also like a complicated character. I still had a good time trying to make McCone be as relaxed and unbothered as possible throughout his pursuit of Ben Richards. So it was definitely great fun playing the character.
You had to find ways to express your character without the use of your face. Did you offer up a number of alts on the day such as the kiss he blows?
My motivation on many of these days was trying to make Edgar laugh. McCone is a nasty character, but I actually think he’s kind of funny. The mask is kind of funny. The nonchalance is kind of funny. So that’s what I was trying to do most days. I love giving options. I’m like, “I’ll do as many takes as you want to do and as you’ll let me do.” I’m always begging for another one just to try something new. We’ve only got the cameras set up once, so let’s see what there is.
Lee Pace stars as Evan McCone in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man.
Paramount Pictures
There’s a great deal of thematic relevance to The Running Man. Strangely enough, Stephen King’s source material (as Richard Bachman) happened to be set in 2025. When you’re considering a role, it’s understandable why you’d prioritize your character and collaborators, but how influential is theme in your decision-making?
Well, director is first. That’s the reason you do or don’t do the movie. This was Stephen King’s, as Richard Bachman, interpretation of what 2025 might look like when he was writing back in 1981, so it was a very, very long time ago. He was sensitive to a growing hostility in this country, but the good news is we don’t live in a world where The Running Man is possible. The theme is thought-provoking, but like I said, it’s not reality.
Inside the movie, there’s a sharp difference between the reality show and reality. In the movie, I play a Hunter, a murderer, who’s trying to hunt down Ben Richards. But inside the show, Ben Richards is supposed to be the bad guy, and McCone is portrayed as the good guy. He’s one of the brave people who’s trying to rid the streets of bad guys like Ben Richards, which is not true. So this movie is satire, and it’s fun and thrilling.
Glen Powell, at the center of it, brings a strength of character to Ben Richards, so that when he gets himself into the mess of this game show, you believe in him. You believe that he has a chance of figuring out how to solve it and how to take care of himself inside of it. So even though the world is hostile and pretty bleak, you’re following a guy who can find a way through it.
I still hope the audience finds it thought-provoking, including what it says about media, power and violence. I hope they find all of that thought-provoking. But I mainly hope people have a good time.
You’ve played a wide variety of characters, but you’ve certainly played your fair share of villains in your career. When you were starting out, did you assume that your physical stature (at 6’5”) would bring a lot of them to your doorstep?
I had no idea what was going to come my way when I started out. When I say I had no idea, I had no idea. In the early 2000s, you’d go to a few auditions a day, and you’d try this and try that. My career has been shaped not by my mind and goals, but by the directors who have chosen to work with me, especially in those days before I had really done much. Tarsem’s [Singh] The Fall was one of my first movies, as was Soldier’s Girl, from [writer] Frank Pierson and [director] Ron Nyswaner. Never in my wildest dreams did I think these roles would come my way, but they did, and I’m proud of the work I did in them.
So, yeah, I am big, and while I play a lot of bad guys, bad guys are really fun to play. There’s interesting characters, and then there’s fun characters. So a lot of the bad guys I’ve gotten to play have just been a blast. You get the chance to show up on set and behave in a way that you aren’t able to in real life.
Lee Pace stars as McCone in The Running Man.
Paramount Pictures
The story centers on how desperate Ben Richards is to make a living and support his family. Do you have a semi-comparable moment in your career where your back was against the wall and you needed an opportunity?
Yeah, I think everyone has a moment in life where they feel like the game is rigged and they don’t see a path forward. There’s a riddle in front of them that they can’t solve. They can’t square it. So that’s a very relatable part of this story. Being an actor is such an odd profession. I almost feel silly calling it a profession, but it is one, and I feel so lucky to be able to entertain people.
There have been many times where I have felt like a deeply unserious person by pursuing this with my life. (Laughs.) But the older I get and the more opportunities I get to do it, I now feel like the ability to entertain people is such a worthy thing to do with your life, actually. So now that I’m older, I look back on those times when my back was against the wall, and they’re part of what forms you because you do figure it out.
Whenever someone performs the same job in the same setting for a long time, it’s very easy to become complacent and maneuver on auto-pilot. But your job is constantly changing in terms of the character, story, location and collaborators. Does complacency exist in your line of work?
I hope not. I feel very lucky to have been able to play all the different characters that I’ve played, but I mostly feel lucky to have worked with the people I’ve had the chance to work with. On TheHobbit, I had scenes with Ian McKellan and Billy Connolly. I’ve had the chance to work with such interesting people, and that opportunity has always kept it surprising. It’s taken me to places that I never thought I could go, and I’ve found pieces of myself inside characters that I didn’t even know were there. Even if I play a character that is so far from myself and I have to completely transform, I’ll watch it back and I’ll just see me. I really do. I see me falling in love or me hunting down Glen Powell. What a dream. So that’s what’s always surprising, and I hope it stays that way.
We’ve reached the Joe MacMillan portion of the interview. He’s probably long retired by now, but have you ever stopped to consider what he’d think of today’s tech industry? Would he be tempted by things like AI? Or would he be frightened by it?
I don’t think Joe McMillan ever retires. I can’t imagine what he would do with his time if he wasn’t looking forward and trying to see which way the wind blows. I love how [Halt and Catch Fire] ended for him: “I’m just going to look towards youth and try to guide them [as a teacher] and see what happens next.” So I think that his story continues in an interesting way, and I would be fascinated to see what [Halt co-creators] Chris Rogers and Chris Cantwell would imagine Joe MacMillan to be doing in this time. AI, satellites, avatar technology, it’s endless. The things that people are working on right now will certainly shape the rest of our years.
Lee Pace as Joe MacMillan on Halt and Catch Fire.
Erika Doss/AMC
Your Halt co-star Mackenzie Davis once asked me why AMC kept renewing the show, and I credited critical acclaim. And then she said that it’s not always enough. I later realized that it was critical acclaim at the right time. Breaking Bad had just gone off the air, and Mad Men was winding down, so they needed another critical darling in their stable.
But we really weren’t critical darlings …
Weren’t you as of season two? I always saw that season as the turning point.
Well, the season two people were like, “Oh, there’s something here. I can see what they’re trying to sniff out.” And then season three was when we really hit our stride. So I would say that AMC believed in the group of people that they had assembled. The writers were trying to figure it out and focus it, as were the actors. Every episode, we met to read through the script and work on the characters and challenge each other. So we got to know each other very well as actors, as we developed that show over the years. So I think that AMC figured out a way to make the finances of it work because they really believed in the show.
The critical success of it was very nice. But at that point, we were doing it for the sake of doing it, because we liked it. We were all very interested in it. I was still shocked every season when we got picked up again, but I was happy because I loved working with those people. I loved working on that character, and I really loved working for AMC at that time. What a smart, interesting group of people.
There’s not a lot of case studies like it.
But I would say we really earned it. We didn’t have that stamp of approval early on. We had to find it. We had to grow into what the DNA of that evolving story was, and it continued to evolve until the very last episode, really.
Last year, I covered a movie in which Mackenzie and Scoot McNairy played a married couple, and it was very strange for Halt fans considering their sibling-like relationship on that show. It was also awkward for them at first. One of your Halt producers actually suggested that you and Kerry Bishé should find a project now.
I love Kerry. Looking back on it, I think she was the real MVP of Halt and Catch Fire. The performance that she turned in episode after episode after episode was so considered and so heartfelt. She did extraordinary work on that show, and I would jump at the chance to work with her again.
*** The Running Man is now playing in movie theaters.
There are three different versions ofThe Running Man, with three different endings. The original 1982 book ends one way, the 1987 movie ends another, and now Edgar Wright’s 2025 movie with Glen Powell has its own. In our review, we felt the ending was the biggest problem with the film, but one very important person liked it more than we did: Stephen King.
A few weeks back, we learned that Wright and co-writer Michael Bacall had to get King’s permission to change the ending of the story, which he granted. And now, with the film in theaters, King told Entertainment Weekly exactly what he thought about the ending. “I like the ending of Edgar’s version of The Running Man very much,” King told EW. “Can’t say too much—spoilers—but I think readers of the novel will be satisfied because they get to have it both ways. If you see what I mean, and I’m betting you do.”
That’s the non-spoiler answer. Let’s dive into what he means and why we weren’t fans of it below.
So let’s break this down quickly. In the 1987 version of the story, which is radically different in a ton of ways, Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is thought to be dead but later emerges in The Running Man studio, sends the show’s host/creator Killian (Richard Dawson) into the arena, gets the girl, and lives happily ever after. That’s a huge departure from the 1982 book, where Richards actually dies by flying a plane into the network TV building. The book ends with the dark line of “The explosion was tremendous, lighting up the night like the wrath of God, and it rained fire twenty blocks away.” Brutal.
Wright’s film is sort of a mix of both. The whole movie very closely mirrors the story of the 1982 novel, so we do see Ben Richards (Powell) get on a plane with a course set for the network building. But things change when it gets shot down on the way, never reaching its destination, and everyone assumes Ben is dead. Of course, he’s not. Through the social media creator we met earlier in the movie (Apostle, played by Daniel Ezra), we learn that Ben somehow escaped the plane before it exploded. We then see Ben reunite with his family and, finally, invade The Running Man and get revenge on Killian (Josh Brolin).
So you get the mostly happy, burn-the-world-down ending from the movie, but also the book-accurate setup with Ben on a plane and the plane crashing. That’s King’s “get to have it both ways.” Which we totally understand. Plus, it makes sense. We’re pretty sure modern audiences would not have liked seeing Glen Powell die at the end by flying a plane into a building. That hits much differently now than it did in 1982, obviously.
However, one of the things we liked most about Wright’s version of the film is how meticulous it is. It explains the rules, the locations, all of it in such detail. But that goes completely out the window at the end, when we are fed this sort of YouTube video that doesn’t explicitly explain anything, followed by a few very fast-paced wrap-up scenes. Altogether, it robs us of the full satisfaction we could’ve had from both Ben seeing his family again and getting revenge against the network, while also leaving us more questions than answers. It’s all too fast, too loose, and too confusing. Does it give us a happy ending with a twist? Yes, but we hoped for more.
Did you see The Running Man? Did you like the ending? Let us know below.
Describe This Movie In One Bruce Almighty Quote: BRUCE: Lower and debase myself for the amusement of total strangers? Yeah, I could do that. Sounds like fun.
Brief Plot Synopsis: “Ben Richards, come on down!”
Rating Using Random Objects Relevant To The Film: 2 Richard Dawsons out of 5.
Tagline: “Millions hunt. One runs. Everyone watches.”
Better Tagline: “Still more ethical than trophy hunting.”
Not So Brief Plot Synopsis: Few things trigger desperation in a man like being unemployed with a sick child. Ben Richards (Glen Powell) knows more than most, having been blackballed from most employment for repeated “insubordination.” But there’s still one place where someone from the slums can earn some New Dollars, and that’s on the Network’s potentially lethal game shows. Producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin) thinks the angry Richards is a perfect fit for The Running Man, in which contestants attempt to survive for 30 days while being hounded not just be the Network’s elite Hunters, but by ordinary citizens, who can earn money from contestant sightings.
“Critical” Analysis: Stephen King wrote the Running Man (as Richard Bachman) back in 1982, when constant surveillance was just a glint in Peter Thiel’s eye. Set in an economically depressed and dystopian 2025 (“fiction”), King’s novel was prescient in depicting both the stranglehold elites have on society and the increasing cruelty of reality television. What it may have overemphasized was the oppressed masses capacity for revolution, a pitfall stumbled into by both Paul Michael Glaser’s 1987 adaptation and this new version, directed by Edgar Wright (The “Cornetto” Trilogy, Baby Driver).
Wright’s version is more faithful to the book than Glaser’s. Though in truth, it would be harder not to be. The latter starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the “weak and tubercular” (King’s words) Ben Richards, who played a cop betrayed by his superiors, in a version of the game setting the “Runners” against glandular freaks armed with flamethrowers and chainsaws. Here, Richards’ background is largely intact, and the concept of Runners being hunted by both Network assassins and billions of ordinary citizens remains as well.
Though referring to Glen Powell as “tubercular” is … a bit of a stretch.
So, fine; it’s a better adaptation. But is it a better movie? It certainly looks better, having been shot on location in he UK instead of in a janky Hollywood soundstage. Brolin, Colman Domingo (as Running Man host “Bobby T”), and yes, even Powell, are also better actors than Schwarzenegger, Jim Brown, or Jesse “The Body” Ventura. The special effects, courtesy of ILM, are top notch, and — for the movie’s first half, anyway — it felt like everything was falling into place.
Much like James Gunn, Edgar Wright has a tendency to mix comedy with occasionally shocking violence. This helps offset the brutality of the world Richards and his family inhabits. But should it? Because even this “more faithful” rendition runs counter to the bleak anti-capitalist message of the novel. The Running Man is the closest thing Wright has come to directing a straight action movie since Baby Driver. And some of the sequences are both gripping and amusing, but even the comedic flourishes are abandoned for the film’s third act.
“What do you mean your grandfather committed some ‘light treason?’” Credit:Paramount Pictures
This is also about where the 1987 version bogs down, and for similar reasons. Movies that tell downbeat stories without some form of comeuppance haven’t really been marketable to American audiences since the 1970s. The Schwarzenegger movie took the passages about Richards-inspired proletarian riot in King’s novel and blew them up into full-blown revolution (led by Mick Fleetwood and Dweezil Zappa, no less). In Wright’s movie, Richards shelters with a nerdy anarchist (played by Michael Cera) who publishes a zine that will blow the lid off the Network’s abuses.
You read that right: in the year 2025, the masses will be moved to full-scale revolt by a type of publication that saw its popularity peak almost 30 years ago.
It isn’t just the facile revolutionary bullshit, because even though this iteration of The Running Man hews closer to King’s book, it still softens many of its bleaker aspects, including the fate of Richards’ family and his own ambiguous final moments. To be clear, I never expected anyone — Edgar Wright or otherwise — to try and bring the written ending to the screen (though to his credit, he does have Killian acknowledge the possibility). But instead of finding a reasonable alternative, he gives us a finale that makes Arnold walking into the sunset with Maria Conchita Alonso look like The Mist.
Admittedly, you don’t hire Edgar Wright if you’re just looking for a straightforward book treatment. And the aggravating thing is, The Running Man could’ve worked as an actioner that got some jokes in while still highlighting the depravity of a society that feeds its poorest citizens into a meat grinder for entertainment. But the movie’s utter cop-out of an ending (and ham-fisted credits buzzwords) now make me doubt if the director of Hot Fuzz really understands satire as much as I previously thought.
Mr. Movies himself gave The Running Man two thumbs up. This week, Tom Cruise caught the new Edgar Wright movie and hung out with Glen Powell. The pictures on social media are very fun with the Mission: Impossible star loving his new popcorn bucket. Getting that kind of publicity is basically indispensable. Yes, The Running Man might be a Stephen King adaptation. But, the movies are an interesting environment now. Nothing is a sure bet anymore, even if the movie is good. IMAX might have said it best, “The king has spoken.” So, now we all have to wait to see what the opening weekend does.
Another great night out with my friends at the movies! You guys crushed it, congratulations! I laughed, was on the edge of my seat, and ate way too much popcorn. pic.twitter.com/bNZEP1xUk8
There’s been so much talk about how we “don’t have movie stars anymore.” But, you see moments like this and some of the fan enthusiasm around recent releases, and it becomes apparent that there are stars. We just have to break out of the cycles of negativity to embrace them. Despite Cruise’s elder statesman status at this point, he’s always offering out that olive branch for the younger Hollywood set. Hopefully, that never changes.
Tom Cruise co-signs on Glen Powell
(Paramount Pictures)
Tom Cruise isn’t the only person who gave Powell the seal of approval. During a recent panel during New York Comic-Con, the Running Man star told the fans that Stephen King himself had to give his blessing before the movie could commence. That’s pretty nerve-wracking. Even for a big star like Powell. But, luckily for Edgar Wright and the creative team, they had one big ace up their sleeve. Namely, their leading man had been in one banger of a movie recently. That helped matters tremendously after King went to see Hit Man and liked what Powell brought to that project. From there, it was smooth sailing.
“Edgar offered me this movie, and I was like, ‘Yes.’ I’m like, ‘Let’s go…’ And then, like, later that night [Edgar says], ‘By the way, like, you have to be approved by Stephen King. He’s gonna watch Hit Man tonight,” Powell told the crowd. “And so I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch Hit Man and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It’s terrible,”
So, that makes two absolute legends that gave Powell their co-sign before The Running Man made its way to the runway. Hit Man really is amazing, so that definitely helps. But, it’s not hard to see the vision when it comes to one of Hollywood’s brightest developing stars. Now, all that’s left is for audiences to see and decide for themselves.
The Running Man movie that’s coming to theaters next week could not be more different than The Running Man movie you grew up with. That movie, released in 1987 and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, followed a man named Ben Richards competing in a deadly reality show called The Running Man, run by an evil corporation. The new movie, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell, does that too. Both movies are also based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Stephen King, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. But that’s basically where the similarities end.
Below, we’re going to run down the seven biggest, non-spoiler differences between the films and then decide which interpretation is more appealing. Then, check back next week for a full review of the new film and an interview with director Edgar Wright.
The Arena
In the 1987 film, The Running Man show takes place in a 400-block underground arena that allows for the TV production to cover it from all angles. In the 2025 film, Ben can go anywhere in the world. We understand that the smaller arena made for a smaller, less expensive movie. But expansion, which is more faithful to the book, makes for much more exciting set pieces because there is such variation.
Advantage: Powell 2025
Dynamo in the original Running Man. – Tri Star
The Villains
Once the game begins, both films show Ben being hunted by a group of popular killers, called Stalkers in the 1987 film and Hunters in 2025. However, while the 1987 film made the characters into larger-than-life personalities that were basically wrestlers (Fireball, Dynamo, etc.), the 2025 film portrays them as more of a tight-knit military team where most of them are anonymous, save for the leader, McCone. Those guys are cool, but no one is cooler than a man in a light suit singing opera.
Advantage: Schwarzenegger 1987
The Backstory
The most significant change between the films is why Ben plays Running Man in the first place. In 1987, he was framed for genocide because he refused to kill innocent people. He then plays the game because he’s captured and tries to help his friends. In 2025, Ben volunteers to play the game because he’s trying to help his family and needs the work. The new movie does touch upon some of that corporate evil, but family is simply a more emotionally powerful explanation.
Advantage: Powell 2025
Powell and Josh Brolin as Killian in The Running Man. – Paramount
The Love Interest
An offshoot of the difference in backstories is that both Bens have different love interests. In the 2025 film, Ben is in love with his wife, played by Jayme Lawson, as well as their child. In the 1987 movie, Ben has no attachments. He’s kind of forced into an awkward alliance with a random woman played by María Conchita Alonso. They eventually end up together, but it’s an afterthought. Having that human connection gives 2025 Ben a clear advantage.
Advantage: Powell 2025
The Prize
Ben, in the 2025 movie, volunteers for The Running Man because there are massive cash prizes available, upwards of $1 billion. He needs that money to help his family. In the 1987 movie, only criminals play the game, so their prizes are all oddly legally based and very quickly glossed over. Cold, hard cash is clearly a more relatable motivation to put your life on the line than the promise of a better lawyer.
Advantage: Powell 2025
Glen Powell incognitio in The Running Man. – Paramount
The Length
Marketing for the new Running Man makes it clear that, in the film, Ben Richards has to survive 30 days out in the world. The original movie only requires the characters to stay alive for three hours. That time difference changes motivations and plot devices throughout, but we like that things were so much shorter in the original. Made more sense for TV.
Advantage: Schwarzenegger 1987
The World
Because the new movie has Ben Richards out in the world, anyone, anywhere can become involved in The Running Man. That’s fun. The first movie takes place only in this isolated arena, so for the most part, the main people who have an impact on the game itself are members of the studio audience. That movie does show a lot of people in the outside world, but they’re all passive participants.
Advantage: Powell 2025
The games begin. – Tri Star
And also…
Of course, there are other differences too. Schwarzenegger’s film, for example, has two former governors in it: himself and Jesse Ventura. The new one has zero governors. In the original film, the host of The Running Man, played by Richard Dawson, is also the head of the evil corporation behind it. These are separate characters (Coleman Domingo and Josh Brolin, respectively) in the new film. Contestants in the first film are friends, but they’re strangers in the new one. The list goes on and on.
And, once you see the movie, there are plenty more, but we don’t want to spoil anything.
But certainly, from this list, it’s clear that Wright’s version is wildly different from the first one—and that means, if you’re a fan, it’s very worth checking out. It opens in theaters on November 14. We’ll have more soon.
After six episodes of hijinks and prosthetic makeup, the first season of Chad Powers has come to a close. Hulu’s football comedy not only brought Twisters and The Running Man star Glen Powell back to television, but it surprised viewers a lot along the way.
Of course, now it’s time for the biggest question: will Chad Powers return for a second season? At the time of this writing, Hulu has yet to renew the series… but that doesn’t mean it’s completely out of the question. For one thing, the evolution of when and how successful “ratings” for new shows come in has changed amid the streaming era, so Hulu could end up waiting a beat before making a decision in one way or another.
There are also the busy schedules of Powell, who has a number of upcoming movies lined up, and co-creator Michael Waldron, who is currently working on the scripts for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
**spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Chad Powers below!**
“Yeah, I mean I think just on a practical plot level, Ricky’s part of the conspiracy, whether she likes it or not, and what does that do?” Waldron detailed. “Can there be a love story still? And can Russ continue to grow by being Chad and can Chad grow by Russ, by being inhabited by a little more Russ? And can the Catfish win it all? Is Coach gonna die all that, all sorts of stuff and what’s happening with Tricia and Coach Dobbs? Are they hooking up?”
Jenna Anderson is the host of the Go Read Some Comics YouTube channel, as well as one of the hosts of the Phase Hero podcast. She has been writing professionally since 2017, but has been loving pop culture (and especially superhero comics) for her entire life. You can usually find her drinking a large iced coffee from Dunkin and talking about comics, female characters, and Taylor Swift at any given opportunity.
The six episode run of Chad Powers left fans wanting more. And that is a good thing. The Hulu series starring Glen Powell’s finale left us with a lot of questions we need answers to. Meaning we need a season 2.
Throughout the first season, the question was whether or not Russ (Glen Powell) was going to get caught as “Chad Powers,” a walk on quarterback for the South Georgia Catfish. As the season went on, the show was about a lot more than just Russ being a douchebag. It is a redemption story and one man’s journey to understanding who he really is.
But with the end of season 1, we were left with a lot of open-ended storylines and that’s kind of an ideal way to leave an audience. Which is why there’s a lot to talk about and why we need to beg for more of Chad Powers.
**Spoilers for all of Chad Powers season 1 lie ahead**
(Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
The end of season 1 leaves us with two big questions: Can Ricky (Perry Mattfeld) and Russ fix the relationship they once had was Ricky and Chad? And the other is obviously whether or not the Catfish can win it all with Russ as their captain.
But the way the show leaves us on edge is what makes it special. Ricky is not on good terms with Russ. After episode 5, she learned his secret and wants to expose him but Russ’ darker side wins out and he threatens her by saying that exposing him will ruin her father, Coach Hudson (Steve Zahn), in the process.
So Ricky steps up, pushes her feelings aside, and let’s Russ back on their team. But it doesn’t feel finished. And we know the Catfish have a game to win.
What is going to happen with…literally everyone?!
(Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
What I love about television is that it can leave you on the edge of your seat. When a season ends, you don’t know whether or not everything is going to be resolved with a nice little bow and Chad Powers left us with a lot of questions. Which is why I find “Sixth Quarter” so perfect.
It could have had Ricky and Russ talking about everything and settling their differences. It could have flashed through the entire season. But none of that happened. Instead, we got some resolution, set up for a future of the show, and a taste of what that could look like. It is why I really want this series to get a season 2.
I think every show should get the chance to have more than one season and really flesh out their story but with Chad Powers, there is so much more to unpack with these characters and I’d honestly watch Glen Powell doing weird voices for the rest of time. So I think this first season does a great job of really allowing an audience to care about this show and its characters. Now…can we get that renewal?
All of season 1 of Chad Powers is now available on Hulu.
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
Chad Powers has finished its first season of football. Well, television. The hit Hulu series starring Glen Powell, had its finale and it left us with a lot of questions for the future of Russ Holliday and the Georgia Catfish.
The series focused on a redemption story but it was far from typical. Russ Holliday (Powell) was down on his luck, took on a disguise, and learned the hard way that he is a good person, even if he had to be “Chad Powers” to figure it out. With the help of his roommate Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez), he manages to become the quarterback the Georgia Catfish needs. And maybe finds himself in a will they/won’t they relationship with Coach Ricky Hudson (Perry Mattfeld).
To help breakdown the finale, the show as a whole, and the star power that Powell has, I spoke with Michael Waldron (who co-created the series with Powell and made his directorial debut with the show’s season one finale) about all things Chad/Russ.
**Spoilers for the entire first season of Chad Powers lies ahead**
(Hulu)
The Mary Sue: It is exciting to talk to you guys before the show started and then now get to talk to you after it is done. I like seeing how everyone (online) is kind of realizing the deeper themes you guys were putting in at the start of the show. How has it been seeing online? Everyone realizing how fundamentally sad Russ is as a character?
Michael Waldron: It’s sort of been the vibe of like, “Oh, this is actually good.” I think that’s my favorite comment to see, which is also, “Oh, the premise is ridiculous.” And I don’t know that it’s a premise that people expect all that much out of and I think I’ve said this before, that that’s probably what drew us to it. To be able to find something really unexpected with this premise. And especially last week, episode 5, which takes a really sort of serious human turn. It was so fun to see the reactions to that. And, that’s my favorite stuff to write and make anyways. So I think that the show really becomes the truest form of itself and sort of becomes what it’ll be moving forward in these last two episodes. So it’s been a blast to see people respond positively to that.”
The Mary Sue: And speaking of that last episode, I loved the layers that it gave specifically to Ricky, because when you have a dad who is either like, my dad died, but he had heart stuff when I was younger, and it changed how I view a lot of things. And I liked that we got to see that, especially in the finale. Her kind of breaking in a way that I think given the situation, she would’ve reacted very differently had all this not happened at the same time as what was going on with her dad. How was it getting to work with Perry (Mattfeld) and figuring out exactly where Ricky’s anger was in a lot of these last two episodes and figuring out kind of where she is as a character?
Michael Waldron: Well, Perry is a genius of an actor and so it’s a pleasure to work with her. And I could write scenes like that scene on the bus with full confidence and excitement knowing what we were gonna get out of her. And she had made really strong deliberate choices with the character over the course of the season to play her as sort of a powder keg. Ricky is it many ways a mirror of Russ, she’s an athlete who flamed out and is carrying around a lot of probably rag deep, deep down, she’s a competitor. In episode five, which for a lot of the episode it feels like everything’s going great for everybody, you see her maybe wondering, do I like Chad power?
Michael Waldron: There is this connection with this weirdo. Then it all goes so terribly wrong and everything blows up and her dad has a heart attack, and Chad Powers this person who saw her in a way that nobody else did is revealed to not even exist. And, in fact that person is a bad guy and the bad guy who hurt her dad. So we felt like that’s a justified lighting of the fuse to have her explode to, to detonate on him. And so I think Perry really, she understood it and we rehearsed that scene, we taped out the full length of a bus. I really wanted to set it on the bus. So they had this sort of claustrophobic, shut in the airlock. You’re stuck in there together and you’ve gotta have it out feeling. We rehearsed the movements, but not the performance, that would let them sit on that. And when Perry let that loose the first take, I’ll never forget, was absolutely breathtaking to see her go to that place and really, really, really special.
(Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
The Mary Sue: Yeah. I loved it. And I also realized while I was rewatching the finale last night, I mean, you guys are very smart individuals, you and Glen, so I figured you’ve did this on purpose, but I was like, wow, Chad and Ricky’s relationship is really the idea of a woman will like someone for their personality and their kindness versus their looks. And I was watching that unfold. And I realized Russ can’t really understand it because people would deem Russ attractive versus the Chad of it all. And it was very cool to kind of come to that realization while watching her get so angry about her friend that is now dead in her eyes. When you are doing stuff like that and you’re kind of working through how these characters are gonna go throughout an entire season, do you plan out beats like that love story or is that something that you guys kind of came to organically as you were working through the show?
Michael Waldron: I think in this case, I always knew just because in my work can’t help but bend in this direction. I just I love the love story. Even if it’s kind of a tragic one in this way or even a friendship story, whatever you wanna call this. And so I always knew that maybe Ricky finding out was the endgame of the season in some way. I think, that it had been enticing to us at times that, ‘Well, what if that’s final moment of the season?’ And then I really got in my head, ‘Why am I saving the fun?’ That was when we said let’s accelerate and let’s have her find out much sooner than maybe the audience expects her to and then let’s explore the fallout in the finale. And so you always have a general blueprint in your head especially with a show like this, I like to just take it episode by episode and you try and kinda write yourself into a corner and then figure out how to put Russ and Danny into a tough situation and figure out how they’re gonna get out of it.
The Mary Sue: You directed the finale, which is a big deal, and I already like one thing you said about the blocking because it is my favorite part of the episode when she has to ask permission to get off the bus because Russ is standing directly in her way. And it’s cool to hear like the mechanics behind the blocking of stuff like that.
Michael Waldron: Such a great delivery by her, “Please move so I can get off this bus.”
The Mary Sue: Exactly. And so for you though, what was the biggest challenge of not only taking on the finale for a directorial debut, but getting to kind of capture a lot of different moments? Because you have the big stadium set pieces, you have the emotional beats between these characters and all of it has to kind of come to a cliff-hangry resolve as it is.
Michael Waldron: Of course I was nervous but that’s probably good nerves. I felt confident because I believed in our script and I really believed in my actors and so at that point, a lot of my job is get out of the way. And this one was kind of on a rocket and we were writing the season as we were there in Atlanta. So it wasn’t like we had a ton of prep time. But the things that needed a ton of rehearsal, like the bus or the running out in Georgia, we were able to do. And I had an amazing team around me. And I would say the biggest thing, if I think about that episode, when I watch it, the biggest challenge for me was actually it’s the second to last scene where there everybody’s in the locker room.
Michael Waldron: And only because that was my second day, my first full day directing ever. And I hadn’t had a chance to prep with my DP. And it had a ton of characters and a ton of stuff we had to cover in that scene and sort of just followed my instincts and was pleasantly surprised when we got into the edit. And I was like, ‘Alright, I think we got out alive here.’ But again, we have great camera operators and Mark Schwartzbard, our DP, took care of me every step of the way. So I was lucky. A lot of people made me look good.
(Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
The Mary Sue: Well you guys did a something in this season that I never think is possible. But you guys did it, which is, you wrote very, very good, bad improv. Because I studied improv for four years and every time someone tries to do bad improv, I’m like, ‘You’re just…no, this is bad.’ But Russ cannot think on his toes to save his life. How much fun was it to get to not only work with Glen on, the creation of this, but like then get to play around with just how bad Russ is at coming up with something that is like sane and normal as Chad?
Michael Waldron: It was amazing. You can’t be stupid enough. And also it’s easy. I would say it’s easier. It comes out of laziness because if I need to write a Chad line, typically if I am, if I’m spending too much time on it, it’s the wrong thing. Like the trick with Chad is to sit down and just kind of close your eyes and like, what’s your first thought? That’s how the wolves thing came. I was just like, ‘I don’t know.’ And then you look at it and you’re like, ‘Well, if Glen does this, it’s so stupid.’ And so that was fun. And then actually improvising bad improv. That’s it. This testament to how funny Glen is. That he’s just able to. That was improv from him in episode five when he goes, ‘Is this wood?’ Which I think is maybe the funniest line in the entire show.
The Mary Sue: It’s really good. Well, and I also wanted to ask you because or it was a very weird, I don’t know why I did this, but then it broke me a little bit, but I obviously had seen the whole season when I interviewed you guys first, then I came home, was watching all of Monster: The Ed Gein Story and then started Chad Powers back up and was like, ‘I can’t listen to these voices’. Both of these voices are gonna drive me insane. But it is so funny because you have little moments, especially with Danny and then Ricky at the end where they’re like, ‘Stop doing the voice. Like you’ve gotta like just talk like a normal human being.’ How was that though on set, figuring out when the voice was too much or when you needed more of it and really leaning into it to make people uncomfortable with the Chad voice at times?
Michael Waldron: Well, the voice is never too much. I still get such a thrill anytime I can get Glen to start it, anytime he does it. I’m so spoiled when we’re shooting because I hear it all the time and if I’m on Zoom with him or we’re pitching something and he just started ‘Oh yeah and Chad can talk like this,’ I get so excited. But I mean, we were trying to make it uncomfortable and then as the season wore on, we were excited about just mixing and matching. So there’s the scene in episode five when he is talking to Danny and he’s writing his autograph and he’s got the face on, but the wig off and he’s going in and out of the voice and such a amazing performance from Glen to just be doing that. And I just think it’s so unearthing to see and it’s like the show in many ways about a guy losing his mind so I don’t know. I love it. I want it to be uncomfortable.
The Mary Sue: Yeah. Him singing a mix of Let It Be and Reflection from Mulan in the Chad Powers voice. I was like, ‘Oh, I kind of hate this actually.’
Michael Waldron: Yeah. It’s great. So stupid
The Mary Sue: Well, and to that point, I talked when I talked to you the first time about how my favorite show of all time is Parks and Rec, which does the same thing I think Chad Powers does of teetering on stupidity at times in a way that is so much fun as an audience member. How is that for you writing and getting to lean on the stupidity? Because you’ve done comedy and stuff before versus doing something that is a little bit more heavy hitting like a Marvel thing or whatever it may be, but getting to come back and just have fun with a comedy series.
Michael Waldron: It’s great. And it’s great because I’m a comedy writer at heart and I’m never more comfortable than I am in a room full of psychotic comedy writers, that is my happiest place in the world, a comedy writer’s room. But I also just creatively love the dramatic opportunities that the insane comedy gives you because there’s just less expectation. I love that in episode five when we go to these human places and in episode six, people are like, ‘What? How am I getting this out of Chad Powers?’ I find that delightful. I love doing this show. I’d make it forever.
(Disney/Daniel Delgado Jr.)
The Mary Sue: I have two last quick things. One being I know you and Glen have talked about how you would do a season two, you would make more, all this kinda stuff. This season was obviously a man kind of losing his way and trying to figure out like who he is as a person. Have you figured out what the general theme would be moving forward in extra other seasons if you guys get them?
Michael Waldron: Yeah, I mean I think just on a practical plot level, Ricky’s part of the conspiracy, whether she likes it or not and what does that do? Can there be a love story still? And can Russ continue to grow by being Chad and can Chad grow by Russ, by being inhabited by a little more Russ? And can the Catfish win it all? Is Coach gonna die all that, all sorts of stuff and what’s happening with Tricia and Coach Dobbs? Are they hooking up?
The Mary Sue: I vote yes.
Michael Waldron: Heavily implied.
The Mary Sue: You know, I love the show. For my last quick thing, I need to ask for your help and it is, can you also push, I know you pushed the Nova agenda with Glen Powell, but can you push Bruce Wayne for me because I want him to be Bruce Wayne. So can you just shove that agenda?
Michael Waldron: [laughs] That does nothing for me. I’m a Marvel guy.
The Mary Sue: I know but he’d be a perfect Bruce Wayne and I’m like, ‘Everyone needs to get on my side.’
Michael Waldron: If you can get DC to let me direct the Batman movie then maybe.
The Mary Sue: I’ll call up DC we’ll figure it all out. It’ll all be worked perfectly into my plan.
Michael Waldron: Well I think that whatever he does, any role he takes, he’s gonna be remarkable in it.
The Mary Sue: I agree. Thank you so much for talking with me. I love this show. I’m gonna keep pushing so I get more of Chad Powers because it rules.
_____________________________________
The entire first season of Chad Powers is now airing on Hulu!
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing. Mark Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Formula 1 is back in Austin, the “Home of Horsepower.” Instead of riding bucking broncos, the world’s fastest drivers are revving 1000 horsepower V6 engines around one of the year’s trickiest tracks.
During race weekend (October 17-19) in Austin, the city is plastered with F1 imagery, from posters of Lando Norris’ face alongside 6th Street to the full range of Pirelli tires that adorn the lobby of the Thompson Hotel.
It’s the one weekend in Austin where lines around the block aren’t solely reserved for BBQ restaurants. Instead, Formula 1 fanatics queue for fans zones set up around the city like, the Atlassian Williams Racing Fan Zone where they can drive esports simulators, Lewis Hamilton’s Plus 44 store pop-up and former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo’s Enchanté pop-up.
Matthew McConaughey participates in the grid tour before the start of the United States Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. AFP via Getty Images
Digital luxury lifestyle concierge service Velocity Black is the official luxury lifestyle partner of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 team, and members get access to some of the weekend’s most exclusive offerings, including the team’s hospitality suite in The Paddock Club, a hot lap, garage tours, pit lane walks and a lunch at the Aston Martin House, where drivers casually walk by as you munch on brisket croquettes and local tostadas.
“Whether it be VIP hospitality, garage tours and hot lap access at F1 races, fine dining experiences or exclusive entertainment, we are committed to unlocking truly unforgettable moments across the globe,” says Sylvain Langrand, CEO of Velocity Black.
Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow attend the Uber One Rodeo. Getty Images for Uber
Off the track, there was a private dinner at the iconic Franklin Barbecue with an intimate live performance by Grammy Award-winner Gary Clark Jr. And should members want to beat the Austin traffic, Velocity Black arranges helicopter transports to and from the circuit.
“F1 and Austin have acclimated to each other,” legendary BBQ pitmaster Aaron Franklin told Observer at a private dinner for Velocity Black members. “Now, people come here specifically for F1, and are more interested in the local scene and local culture. We had the McLaren team here last night, and they’re all just a bunch of really cool nerds. I love meeting people during race weekend that I wouldn’t normally have the chance to meet.”
Roller coasters dot The Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) and it seems like the mandatory dress code is cowboy hats and boots. When cars aren’t rounding the circuit, musical performances throughout the weekend include Kygo and Garth Brooks, Turnpike Troubadours, as well as local Austin talent.
This year, Austin was a sprint weekend, meaning there was an extra mini-race with more points on the line for the championship battle. Track temperatures weren’t the only scorching hot thing on Saturday, as the sprint race was off to a spicy start. The crowd gasped as both McLarens made contact, forcing them out of the sprint race and any chance at points. Overall, a bad day for Oscar Piastri, currently leading the driver’s championship, as he only placed P6 in qualifying, while his teammate and championship rival, Lando Norris, came in at P2.
Glen Powell on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas. Formula 1 via Getty Images
And on race day, COTA was hot as H-E double toothpicks, but celebrities still lined the track, including Matthew McConaughey, Glen Powell, Malin Akerman and Adele. Max Verstappen dominated, winning the race with Lando Norris coming in second and Charles LeClerc third. There were plenty of overtakes and on-track action, but no red flags. Although the race wasn’t as exciting as the sprint, it was consequential for the driver’s championship, with Lando narrowing the gap to Oscar Piastri by 14 points.
And as the sun set on Austin, the city was electric with bars packed with F1 fans, and private events and parties, like the Esses Magazine one-year anniversary party with two special guests, as the Visa Cash App RB drivers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson made an appearance. At the One Party by Uber, a musical performance by the Zac Brown Band opened with a traditional Texas rodeo.
While partaking in a BBQ dinner, another Texas tradition, Jak Crawford, an F2 driver and Texas native told Observer, “My favorite thing about race weekend in Austin is the food. The brisket, it’s so good here.” While he hasn’t raced here yet he says, “I can’t wait to drive here, it can be a really tricky circuit.”
Anytime director Edgar Wright releases a new movie, it’s an event. Throw in Glen Powell playing the Arnold Schwarzenegger role in a high-octane Stephen King adaptation, and, well, all bets are off. That’s what graced the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con this weekend as Wright, Powell, and co-star Lee Pace showed up to talk all things The Running Man and debut a brand new trailer too—which has finally made its debut online now that the con has wrapped up.
Directed by Wright, from a script by Wright and Michael Bacall (the same duo who wrote Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), The Running Man hits theaters on November 14. Most fans know the title because of the 1987 Schwarzenegger movie, but that was based on a much more sprawling 1982 novel written under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman. This version is closer to the novel, with the titular game show not beholden to a single arena but taking place all over the world. You see lots of that in the new trailer, which you can watch below.
The best parts of this trailer, besides this movie actually existing and coming out in a month, are the Edgar Wright action touches. We’ve seen lots and lots of action movies, but you can just tell when it’s Wright behind the camera. The way it moves, the way it’s cut together—everything just has this kinetic feeling, which you can bet will permeate the entire movie.
It also helps that, in addition to Powell and Pace, Wright has assembled an incredible ensemble to bring The Running Man to life. He’s got William H. Macy, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. Not too shabby.
The Running Man is running to theaters soon, on November 14, and we’ll have much more in the coming weeks. Are you as excited about this one as we are?
In just over a month, Edgar Wright’s new take on TheRunning Man will be out, and it’ll have some changes to source material. This also includes its conclusion, and if you don’t want to know how the original book ended, you should go no further.
At the end of the 1979 novel, Ben Richards—portrayed in the new film by Glen Powell—learns his wife and daughter were killed, leading to him using a plane to kill himself and the Games Network that runs the titular bloodsport. An ending like that would probably court unwanted attention, and Wright told UK outlet Film Stories that he and co-writer Michael Bacall “knew at the outset that [the novel’s ending] wasn’t going to be part of this adaptation.”
Thus, a new ending was crafted, but the specifics are under wraps. A change like that required King’s signoff, and Wright candidly called the day the script was sent off “possibly the most nerve-wracking day of the entire production.” But King was high on the entire script and had no qualms about switching things up: Wright felt King knew a change was in the air, and recalled him being “very curious” about how the ending would be approached. “He said we did a ‘great job,’ so I was very happy with that,” said Wright.
On some level, this isn’t too surprising, since the 1987 version of The Running Man also changed the ending so Richards and Amber Mendez go to kiss after Killian died on live TV. It’s also not the only King adaptation to deviate from the source material in that way, as The Long Walk also takes a sharp divergence, and longtime fans of King can likely name every change in the films and shows based on his work.
We’ll see how The Running Man sticks the landing with its new ending when it hits theaters November 14.
Hulu’s new series Chad Powers, starring Glen Powell, has already got a claim that viral sensation Haliey “Hawk Tuah” Welchreplaced another actress. After comedian Brittney Rae Carrera posted a viral video alleging she was the one originally cast in Welch’s scene, Welch has now publicly responded, clarifying the situation.
Haliey Welch on Brittney Rae Carrera claiming viral star replaced her on Chad Powers
Haliey Welch finally broke her silence after being inundated with tags and messages concerning Brittney Rae Carrera’s claims. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Welch shared that she was unaware the role had been offered to anyone else before she accepted it. “I wasn’t aware the role had been filled prior,” she stated.
The Hawk Tuah Girl emphasized that there was no malicious intent involved. As she further wrote, “I was called and asked to be in a TV series with Glen Powell and I said yes (bc duh it’s Glen Powell)” She even complimented Carrera, adding, “I actually love her content and think she is a funny and sweet girl.” Welch also confirmed that she has since been in direct contact with Carrera and the two are “cool.”
This began when Carrera, an actress and influencer with credits in shows like Found and Queens, posted a reaction video. In the now-viral clip, Carrera stands next to a television paused on Welch’s face from the Chad Powers premiere and screams, “They replace me with Hawk Tuah?! This is literally my scene!”
Since then, it has been confirmed that Carrera did indeed shoot for one day on the series but would not appear in the final episode. The situation ended peacefully, with Carrera posting her own conciliatory message later on Wednesday. “I am not upset with [Haliey Welch] at all,” she wrote, jokingly adding, “I hope one day she will teach me to spit on that thang.”
In Chad Powers, Welch appears as herself in a nightclub scene where Glen Powell’s character, trying to blend in with a younger crowd, excitedly name-drops her by her viral moniker, to which she politely corrects him, “Welch. Haliey Welch is my full human name.”
Two of Hollywood’s hottest, emphasis on that adjective, leading men are reportedly close to reviving a television classic. This rumored Miami Vice movie is the next project on the docket for Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski! One of our current favorite action directors has tackled the skies with Maverick, and then taken things to land with F1 this year. Now, according to Nexus Point News, Kosinski is poised to go on a little boat ride with Glen Powell and Michael B. Jordan for Miami Vice!
Don’t mind us, we’re just over here daydreaming about why such a famed director would basically make a movie just for us? Like it’s not anyone’s birthday or anything, so why such a generous gift? Teaming Powell and Jordan up for this kind of movie feels like nothing short of a hallucination? It’s an inherently steamy flavor of action down there in Florida. Like most people on social media, we have to ask if they’ll be using the infamous 80s wardrobe that people still associate with Miami Vice after all these years too?
just saw someone say in response to those miami vice rumours that glenn powell isn’t charismatic enough…
listen if he’s not charismatic enough then no one is
Younger viewers might want to know that Miami Vice was an ‘80s TV staple that starred Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas as James “Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Slotting in the Running Man star alongside the Sinners headliner and you’ve got a recipe for fireworks. If Kosinski is anywhere near the project, we’re in for a real treat!
Sounds like the director already has some ideas for Miami Vice?
(Warner Bros.)
While Powell and Jordan are going to get a ton of the chatter around this early report, the addition of the F1 director is something that fans should think more about. In the last big screen adaptation of Miami Vice, back in 2006 and directed by Michael Mann, there was a real focus on the boat stunts. If we expect a similar approach here, they picked an amazing filmmaker for the job.
ScreenCrush actually managed to grab Kosinski for a little bit during the press run for F1 this summer. In their interview, the filmmaker talked about pushing various camera techniques to their limits on Top Gun: Maverick and F1. The filming team apparently got Sony to build them some of the smallest IMAX cameras around. Kosinski made a joke about using them for the next project. And, would you look at the timing of all this chatter? Seems interesting is all we’ll say for now. Check out what the director shared with that outlet down below!
“So we’re actually working with Sony on the next generation of this camera that we shot with. It’s going to be even smaller and much lighter. So that’s already in development. I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet,” Kosinski laughed. “But I’m sure whatever project I do next, we’ll find a way to give the audience a perspective they haven’t had before, and a reason to go to the movies. That’s the main thing.”
That all sounds amazing. But, the main thing might be uniting Glen Powell and Michael B. Jordan on our screens driving speedboats?
Chad Powers starts streaming on September 30 and the show is truly one of the best comedies out there. I absolutely loved it and one of the things I think is incredibly fun about the show is the use of music in it.
In one scene, Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez) is singing a musical theatre song when he’s home alone. Now, if you’ve ever had a roommate or if you’ve ever lived with someone else, you know the song you choose to sing when you’re by yourself is incredibly important. After all, it may be the only time you have to see if you can hit that high note without embarrassing yourself.
So during a game of flip cup with Glen Powell and Perry Mattfeld, I asked the two if they had the freedom that Danny does in the show to just belt it out, what song would they sing? Mattfeld responded quickly with “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift. But “only because it’s really high and I don’t want anyone to hear me attempt that.”
Powell agreed saying that it was a hard song to sing. And when I had him answer the same question, he responded by saying “Now I just want to get alone so I can do ‘Cruel Summer.”” The two did then compliment Powell’s younger sister, Leslie Powell, for her musical talents, saying “My little sister, Leslie, is an amazing singer. I’m sure she could crush ‘Cruel Summer.’”
This also comes after Powell said he’d love to see Taylor Swift on season 2 of Chad Powers so he is campaigning hard for her to join the series. And look, isn’t that what singing alone in your home is all about? If you can’t try to belt incredibly high songs when you are by yourself, what are you doing?
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
I would personally like to thank Jake Shane for his Therapuss podcast because his episode with Glen Powell has delighted me for the last two days. And one section of it has people talking. It was Powell getting into cancel culture.
His new show, Chad Powers, details the fall of Russ Holliday (Powell), a former quarterback who makes the mistake of dropping the ball before he’s in the end zone and costing his team the win. Russ is not a bad guy at heart. He can be rude and a jerk, yes, but he’s not an evil person. So Powell and Shane talked about the idea of cancel culture and Powell had a pretty iconic quote.
“Russ Holiday is just a guy who made a mistake, he’s not a bad guy,” Powell said. “Some of these other people who get canceled, they should lie where they’re shot … In today’s day and age, cancel culture is just a thing where the world that doesn’t let you forget your mistakes. With phones, with TikTok, with Instagram, so many people make mistakes and the world doesn’t let you forget. And I found it to be interesting how people react to those moments. Do they double down, do they take accountability, do they believe in conspiracy theories? Just having a character learning to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ is a really beautiful thing.”
As someone who has been willing, in my own heart, to forgive some of these people because they’ve taken the right steps and reflected, it is nice to hear a take on cancel culture that isn’t “boohoo you can’t say anything anymore.” Powell’s response was nuanced and frankly correct. And now we have “Some of these other people who get canceled, they should lie where they’re shot” in our lexicon.
Glen Powell realized in real time you can’t separate the art from the artist
Another story Powell shared was about the time he saw an actor he used to love at a party. He said that he was at a Hollywood party with a mix of press and celebrities when he has someone he used to be a fan of. “I was at a party and there was somebody [there] that had basically been on the ropes in terms of sort of getting canceled,” Powell said. “This person had made some of my favorite movies and I was like, ‘Oh, this is great.’ He came up and he said, ‘Nice to meet you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, dude. Such a big fan.’ And then a photographer said, ‘Hey, can we take a picture of you guys.’”
When Powell realized that this was someone who he probably shouldn’t be associated with, he tried to get out of the situation. “This person was recently canceled and it was not good,” Powell said. “I was a fan of their work, but not a fan of their choices. So I was kind of just being nice.”
Ultimately he decided against taking a picture with this person. “But then, when they wanted to take a picture with you, I realized very quickly — I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is a good idea.’ He clearly clocked that I was like, ‘Oh, this is probably not a good idea.’ And I realized that this guy, his face is toxic. Going out into the world, people are having a visceral reaction to this person in terms of the bad choice they’ve made.”
It is so nice to not be disappointed
More often than not now, I have to hold my breath when cancel culture is brought up in Hollywood. Not that a lot of my favorite people have said bad things. But just because it is an exhausting cycle of “Cancel culture is ruining lives” rhetoric without realizing that it is someone facing consequences. Powell’s take on the situation was very leveled and it is rare in this day and age that someone has that perspective on it.
Sometimes, someone deserves the “canceled” label and that’s an important thing to remember. They aren’t persona non-grata for absolutely no reason! But I really do love and appreciate this perspective and we all can thank Glen Powell for the next great quote about cancellations. “Some of these other people who get canceled, they should lie where they’re shot.”
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
Glen Powell recently appeared on Jake Shane’s “Therapuss” podcast and detailed an awkward encounter he had at a Hollywood party when he was asked to take a photo with a canceled actor. Powell, who is currently promoting his Hulu comedy series “Chad Powers” and Paramount’s upcoming action movie “The Running Man,” did not name the celebrity.
“I was at a party and there was somebody [there] that had basically been on the ropes in terms of sort of getting canceled,” Powell explained. “It was one of those Hollywood parties where there’s like cameras and press and all that stuff. This person had made some of my favorite movies and I was like, ‘Oh, this is great.’ He came up and he said, ‘Nice to meet you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, dude. Such a big fan.’ And then a photographer said, ‘Hey, can we take a picture of you guys.’”
“This person was recently canceled and it was not good,” Powell continued. “I was a fan of their work, but not a fan of their choices. So I was kind of just being nice. But then, when they wanted to take a picture with you, I realized very quickly — I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is a good idea.’ He clearly clocked that I was like, ‘Oh, this is probably not a good idea.’ And I realized that this guy, his face is toxic. Going out into the world, people are having a visceral reaction to this person in terms of the bad choice they’ve made.”
The story led Powell to comment more generally on cancel culture in Hollywood. He even drew a connection to “Chad Powers,” which stars Powell as a quarterback who gets canceled and then finds redemption by disguising himself on a new team as a different person.
“Russ Holiday is just a guy who made a mistake, he’s not a bad guy,” Powell said of his character. “Some of these other people who get canceled, they should lie where they’re shot… In today’s day and age, cancel culture is just a thing where the world that doesn’t let you forget your mistakes. With phones, with TikTok, with Instagram, so many people make mistakes and the world doesn’t let you forget. And I found it to be interesting how people react to those moments. Do they double down, do they take accountability, do they believe in conspiracy theories? Just having a character learning to say ‘I’m sorry’ is a really beautiful thing.”
“Chad Powers” debuts Sept. 30 on Hulu. Watch Powell’s full “Therapuss” interview in the video below.
Comedy is something that brings so many of us joy and when you find a new favorite show, it is important to cherish it. Chad Powers has that potential.
The series, based on the Eli Manning sketch, details Russ Holliday’s (Glen Powell) return to sports. When he thinks he is in the end zone, he dropped the ball and the other team takes it and destroys him. He had to move back with his father and ended up leaving his dreams of becoming a quarterback behind. That is until his brilliant plan of taking on a new persona comes to life.
Danny (Frankie A. Rodriguez) ends up helping Russ keep up the image that he is a sweet man from the middle of nowhere who decided to walk-on to the Georgia’s Fishes just because. And the two form an unlikely friendship throughout the series that is, in a lot of ways, the heart of the show. Both Danny and Russ think they’re “okay” but then the two see that they can (and should) change for the better.
What makes this show so special isn’t the hilarity of Glen Powell in all of those prosthetics. It is that Russ sees Chad as the “better” version of himself but doesn’t recognize that feeling and want to change. Instead, he is always trying to do what is best for “Russ” and not the greater good. Or, at least, that’s what Russ would want you to think.
It is a show about believing in yourself
(Hulu)
Russ thinks that he is not a good man. He says as much on the show. He also says that he, as Russ, is a dick. His words, not mine. But Chad isn’t. What Russ fails to realize on the show is that he IS Chad and Chad is who he is. And somewhere in all of that, the real Russ can step forward and show his true self. All of this is what, to me, makes the show stand out.
You could have leaned heavily into the sketch idea and made this outlandlish but I love that Chad Powers isn’t about Russ becoming the next Eli Manning or anything other than a man trying to have a redemption arc. Really, it is its own thing entirely and I think that’s a good thing. That way then the show can breathe. When you follow something that is too rigid, it means you have to stay by the books.
But Chad Powers feels fun and whismy about its source material. The show itself doesn’t take itself too seriously but it does still hold an emotional weight to its characters. And look, we haven’t had a great sports series in a while. I do think though that Chad Powers is more than just a show about a ‘Football star’s comeback story’ that no one asked for.
The series is about people growing and learning that they can change (and change for the better) and it is a beautiful message to share with an audience right now.
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
