Stephen King Hails ‘The Running Man’ as a Modern Action Classic
Stephen King has likened the new adaptation of The Running Man to a modern Die Hard, praising its charismatic lead and gripping narrative, even as the film struggled at the box office.
Drawing comparisons to Die Hard has become something of a tired habit in the world of action cinema, yet Stephen King could not resist making the link. While the analogy is often misapplied, King’s take was at least a touch more nuanced. Since John McClane’s barefoot escapades through Nakatomi Plaza, the Die Hard formula—one person, one location, high stakes—has been endlessly recycled. Some films have managed to put their own stamp on the concept, with the likes of The Rock, Speed, Air Force One, and Con Air shifting the action to prisons, buses, and planes, often to great effect. Others, however, have simply rehashed the idea without much success, as seen in Sudden Death, Performance Command, Top of the World, and Point Blank, which tried to inject excitement into settings like ice rinks and shopping centres, only to fall flat.
To be fair, King was not suggesting a direct parallel. There was, perhaps, a hint of self-congratulation, given that the film he praised as the Die Hard of today was based on his own story. He had not made such a claim about the original, but when Edgar Wright took charge of the remake, King was quick to offer his endorsement.
“It’s got just a twinkle in it,”
he remarked to the BFI, going on to highlight Glen Powell’s portrayal of Ben Richards.
“He’s an immensely likable character, and he has that in common with McClane in Die Hard. So, I mean, it’s important to have a likeable main character, and he really is, and he feels fleshed out. It’s good.”
Comparing Action Heroes
Despite King’s enthusiasm, the comparison does not quite hold up. The Running Man follows Richards as he flees for his life across the country over a gruelling 30 days, while McClane’s ordeal is confined to a single night and the duration of an office Christmas party. The two films operate on very different scales and rhythms, making the analogy a bit of a stretch. Wright’s latest venture into blockbuster territory has not been universally celebrated, and it has already faded from the public conversation. In today’s film industry, a big-budget, R-rated production costing over $100 million is always a gamble, and even Powell’s current popularity was not enough to guarantee success.
Box Office Struggles and Legacy
Instead of becoming a runaway hit, the new adaptation failed to make a significant impact at the box office, falling well short of recouping its hefty budget. Die Hard, for all its later missteps, managed to spawn a string of sequels, each with diminishing returns. The Running Man, on the other hand, may struggle to secure even a second viewing from those who saw it in cinemas. The film’s commercial disappointment stands in stark contrast to the praise it received from its original creator, leaving its future uncertain.