From Arnold's iconic one-liners to Glen Powell's disguises, these adaptations are worlds apart! Join us as we examine how these two films based on Stephen King's dystopian novel differ in everything from character motivations to their faithfulness to the source material. Which version of this deadly game show got it right?
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?
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