A Stephen King classic from the ’80s is set to leave Netflix in a few weeks, just ahead of the remake’s theatrical release. It’s clearly the year of King adaptations, with at least four of his stories turning into movies and television shows alone. But with just a few months left until 2025 closes, there are a few King stories slated for release, including the IT prequel, Welcome to Derry.
In the movie sphere, there is one final adaptation left that has yet to hit theaters. Edgar Wright’s own adaptation of The Running Man is set to release on November 7, 2025. The upcoming thriller will star Glen Powell as Ben Richards, who enters a deadly competition in which he needs to survive for 30 days. It’s only the second iteration of the survival classic, but the first attempt starred Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role.
While Schwarzenegger’s version is currently streaming on Netflix, the adaptation is scheduled to leave the platform in just a few weeks. According to their site, the 1987 version of The Running Man will leave Netflix on November 1, 2025, which is less than one week before the remake debuts in theaters.
Whereas the reviews for the remake are expected to drop in the coming weeks, the 1987 The Running Man was met with mixed to generally positive reviews. While the original movie was praised for its over-the-top action, critics were more critical about the repetitive plot and weak execution of King’s story.
Both Wright and Schwarzenegger have reflected on the original 1987 movie ahead of the remake’s release. Wright has stated that his version will be closer to the King novel, particularly showing that the protagonist “is out in the world on his own, so it’s like the deadliest game of hide and seek,” a plot device that was missing in the ’80s version.
Back in June of this year, Schwarzenegger was candid about his version of The Running Man, expressing his excitement for the remake before addressing the key issue with his own movie. While speaking with CBR, the action star admitted that the 1987 iteration could have been great had there been better preparations, more money, and better visual effects.
Running Man was one of the movies that it did, that it felt like, I think it would have been great if we would have been better prepared for this movie, if we would have had more money for this movie, and if we would have had then… the visual effects, the technology of visual effects, that they have today, all of those things I wished after the movie came out, I felt like it could have been better.
It was great, but it could have been better, and I think that they have a good chance now with the new Running Man to make it better.
While first reactions are not available for the remake, there is one person who has already seen the movie and can vouch for how good it is. King recently shared that he saw the new The Running Man, calling it the “Die Hard for our time.” His response is also intriguing since it’s been confirmed that the remake will have a different ending from the original novel, which the author himself gave his approval.
Now, there is a lot of anticipation for the final King adaptation of the year, and The Running Man is already looking to be a massive improvement from the 1987 version. Nevertheless, with less than a month before Wright brings his vision to the screen, audiences have just a few weeks to check out the Schwarzenegger version before it leaves Netflix for good.
- Release Date
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November 13, 1987
- Runtime
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101 minutes
- Director
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Paul Michael Glaser
