00:00Employment status. Blacklisted. But there's still a way out for you.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the differences between 2025's The Running Man and its 1987 predecessor.
00:13There will be spoilers for both films, as well as Stephen King's book.
00:17Go!
00:23Number 10. Resistance Fighters
00:26In the original film, Ben Richards busts out of prison with Harold Weiss and William Laughlin.
00:31Before they all get roped into The Running Man, Laughlin and Weiss offer Richards a chance to join the Resistance.
00:36See you guys at the 10-year prison reunion.
00:38You can still join us if you want. No, thank you.
00:40Although he turns them down, Richards nonetheless becomes the face of a rebellion, receiving help from Resistance leader, Mike.
00:46They need a leader. They need someone with experience.
00:49I thought you were looking for the door.
00:51I told Killian I'd be back. I wouldn't want to be a liar.
01:00The Resistance is a small, yet strong army in the 1987 film.
01:04In the 2025 movie, it's a few guys working under the radar.
01:07Daniel Ezra's Bradley makes videos exposing The Running Man for the sham that it is,
01:12while Michael Cera's Elton has pamphlets detailing the network's dirty secrets.
01:16You know why they cheered for you down there?
01:19There aren't warriors, but if they can get the truth to the people, it'll be mightier than guns.
01:23Number 9. Disguises
01:26Just as he did in Hitman, Glenn Powell puts on a variety of disguises as Ben Richards.
01:31Nothing too complex, but a fake mustache, some false teeth, and a priest costume are enough for Richards to blend in.
01:37I need weapons, an ID, and a disguise.
01:40He also tries out a few different accents to throw people off.
01:43Richards doesn't have any disguises at his disposal in the original film.
01:47Even if he did, we don't think a pair of glasses would have made much of a difference.
01:50We all know you're a big tough guy, Ben.
01:53But that doesn't mean that you're a loner, and it takes a big man to admit that he needs his friends.
02:00Arnold Schwarzenegger is such a physically imposing figure that he's always going to stand out from the crowd.
02:05His Austrian accent is another dead giveaway. People would always know it was Arnold.
02:10Unless he dressed as Turbo Man, then nobody would recognize him.
02:13Did you see that? I was flying with Turbo Man. He saved me from Dementor. It was the coolest. Did you see? Did you?
02:20I saw. I saw. Oh, thank you, sir. I don't think you know how much he means to me.
02:27Oh, I think I have an idea.
02:30Number 8. 80s Vibes.
02:33Paul Michael Glaser's film took place in the far-off year of...2017.
02:37Despite being set in the future, the movie draped itself in everything 80s.
02:41From the tacky fashion, to the flashy colors, to the giant TVs that looked high-tech back then, but feel humorously retro now.
02:48ICS, your entertainment and information network reminds you of seeing is believing.
02:55Funnily enough, King's novel was set in 2025, the same year the remake came out.
03:00Wright's version takes a more grounded approach, although where the first film was a product of 1987, the remake will likely be remembered as a product of 2025.
03:08With drones recording our every move, deep fake technology being used to distort the truth, and a family resembling the Kardashians marking the downfall of human decency, the distant future feels more like the present.
03:23I promise, that's the spirit.
03:25Number 7. Absent Characters.
03:28The Schwarzenegger movie removed several characters who play significant roles in King's book.
03:32Wright restored most of these characters for his adaptation.
03:35In addition to Elton and Bradley, Richards gets help from William H. Macy's Moley, who runs a black market.
03:41Is that C4?
03:42That's not for sale.
03:44Amelia Jones appears as Amelia, a woman whom Richards takes hostage and eventually becomes his ally.
03:49Wright's film reinvents a few characters as well.
03:52Loughlin is another Running Man contestant, although the character is female in this version.
03:57It's worth noting that Damon Killian hosted the Running Man in the 1987 film.
04:01You're beautiful! I love you! Yes!
04:05In the book and Wright's film, Killian is the producer, while Bobby Thompson serves as the host.
04:10This is America, goddammit!
04:12There are also plenty of characters from the 1987 film who aren't in the remake.
04:16Number 6. The Hunters.
04:18In the first movie, Richards ran from hunters known as stalkers, such as Buzzsaw, Dynamo, and Fireball.
04:25Imagine pro wrestlers if they were given lethal weapons.
04:28The film even featured a WWE star in Jesse Ventura, who played Captain Freedom.
04:38I was killing guys like this ten years ago with my bare hands!
04:42I'm not going for any of these tricks!
04:44This is a sport of death and honor!
04:47Go to the gladiators!
04:48Between him and Arnold, that's the most future governors we've seen in a 1987 movie since, well, Predator.
04:54You're hit! You're bleeding, man!
04:56I ain't got time to bleed.
04:58The hunters in Wright's film aren't as over the top.
05:00They're more straightforward mercenaries with guns, grenades, and no gladiator gimmicks.
05:05The only one who stands out is Lee Pace as Evan McCone, the lead hunter who wears a mask.
05:10I've got a grenade!
05:13Back at you.
05:15The mask isn't purely for theatricality, however.
05:17He's concealing his identity, having been the only contestant in the show's history to last 29 days.
05:23Number 5. Richard's Love Interest
05:26Perhaps the most notable character in the 1987 movie created was Amber Mendez, played by Maria Conchita Alonso.
05:32Who are you? Friend of my brother's?
05:34What are you talking about?
05:39This is his apartment.
05:40I moved in last month. They told me the last tenant was taken away for...
05:45Yes?
05:46For re-education.
05:47Amber is a television composer, who's content being part of the system, until she gets mixed up with Richard.
05:53Her eyes are eventually open to the corruption taking place, becoming part of the game.
05:57It's your fault I'm here. The police think I'm helping you out. They even think I'm your girlfriend.
06:02Although Amber is an original character, she feels like a combination of Amelia, who Richards also takes hostage, and Sheila, Richards' wife in King's novel.
06:10People on these games never come back.
06:12We have no choice. We need money for a doctor now.
06:15Richards isn't married in the 1987 movie, but it goes without saying that he'll hook up with Amber before the credits roll.
06:20The remake trades Amber for Sheila, who is in a loving relationship with Richards.
06:25The two also have a young daughter, as in the book.
06:28I'm just trying to give back to my family.
06:32Number 4. Richards' Motivations.
06:34Richards starts as more of a lone wolf in the original movie, although he will stick up for others.
06:39When ordered to blow up an unarmed crowd, he refuses.
06:42As you were, Richards, proceed with Plan Alpha. All rioters must be eliminated.
06:47To hell with you. I will not fire on helpless people.
06:51The other officers are eager to comply.
06:53Richards winds up imprisoned, and then on the run in more ways than one.
06:57Killian forces Richards to compete in The Running Man, which backfires on the network.
07:01It's time to start running!
07:06Richards isn't a former cop in Wright's version.
07:09He works various dangerous jobs to support his family, but after getting blacklisted, reality TV is his only remaining option.
07:16While he's reluctant to sign up for The Running Man, he willingly participates to get the money needed for his sick daughter's medicine, and to give his family a better life.
07:23Ben, watch yourself.
07:26Number 3. The Game.
07:28In both films, survival is key to winning The Running Man.
07:32There are a few key differences, however.
07:34In the 1987 version, contestants only have three hours to make it across four quadrants in LA.
07:39Three hours or less, and they're gonna need every second.
07:42The 2025 film expands the timeframe to 30 days, although even contestants with the best survival instincts are unlikely to last that long.
07:50The rules are simple. Survive 30 days, with the entire nation hunting you down.
07:55Contestants are also free to go anywhere in the world.
07:58With cameras on every corner, and viewers bound to recognize them though, there aren't many places to hide.
08:03The prizes are different as well.
08:05Glenn Powell's Ben stands to win up to $1 billion, while Schwarzenegger's Ben is promised legal help if he makes it to the end.
08:12Of course, both are set up to lose.
08:14Go!
08:15Number 2. The Climax.
08:22The original Running Man opens with Ben Richards piloting a plane over the city.
08:26The remake switches this around, finding Richards aboard an aircraft during the climax.
08:32While he eventually gets behind the wheel, Richards takes out several hunters first, including McCone.
08:37With only one parachute left, Richards gives it to Amelia, while he flies the plane toward Killian's building.
08:42The climax resembles the one in King's book, but it's absent from the 1987 version.
08:46Instead, an armed Richards storms the studio with Amber and several other freedom fighters.
08:51It's showtime!
08:53The unaltered footage of him flying the plane in the beginning is also unveiled, clearing Richards' name before getting his sweet, not to mention ironic, revenge on Killian.
09:02You bastard! Drop dead!
09:06I don't do requests.
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09:30Number 1. Faithfulness to the Book
09:35Where the original was a Schwarzenegger vehicle first and a Stephen King adaptation second, Wright's film sticks closer to the book.
09:42This is largely why the two films are so different, although both drastically change the book's ending.
09:48In Wright's film, Richards survives the plane crash.
09:51He returns to the studio and kills Killian, much like in the 1987 film.
09:55I can't just let you win this game.
09:57In the book, Richards finds out that his family is dead.
10:00Wright's film teases this, although his wife and daughter are ultimately revealed to be alive.
10:05The book also saw Richards fly the plane into the Games Network building, taking himself out with Killian.
10:10After 9-11, King knew that any future adaptations of The Running Man would have to change the ending.
10:15Which version of The Running Man do you prefer?
10:17Let us know in the comments.
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