First published under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman, the novel has already inspired a 1987 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Director Edgar Wright is preparing his next project, an adaptation of Stephen King’s dystopian sci-fi novel “The Running Man” for Paramount Pictures. Deadline first reported the news that Wright will partner with “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World ”Michael Bacall in an adaptation that promises to be faithful to the original material, a 1982 book by King originally published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. Wright and Bacall will write the story together, with Bacall writing the script.
The novel, set in the United States in the year 2025, has already inspired a 1987 science fiction film, also called “The Running Man”, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Paul Michael Glaser. King’s novel takes place in a totalitarian, violent and economically depressed world, where the protagonists participate in a game show called “The Running Man”. Competitors can go anywhere in the world, but they are chased by Hunters assigned to kill them. Although published under the name of Bachman in 1982, King re-released it under his own name on an omnibus entitled “The Bachman Books”, which also included “Rage”, “The Long Walk” and “Roadwork” in 1985.
The producer of the “X-Men” films Simon Kinberg will produce together with Audrey Chon through his Genre Films banner, alongside Nira Park, from Wright’s own Complete Fiction equipment.
In 2017 on twitter, Edgar Wright told fans that if he were to remake any film, it would be “The Running Man”. The original 1987 film received mixed reviews, although it was praised for accurately predicting elements of 21st century life that actually happened.
Wright is receiving rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year for his musical documentary “The Sparks Brothers”. The film centers on Ron and Russell Mael, the duo behind the popular pop and rock band Sparks.
Meanwhile, the world is still waiting for their next thriller “Last Night in Soho”, set in the London fashion scene and starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. The film was initially scheduled by distributor Focus Features for a release on September 25 before being postponed to April 23 this year and finally to October 22, 2021. Co-written by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (a screenwriter nominated for Oscar for “1917”), “Last Night in Soho” focuses on a young woman who mysteriously enters the 1960s, where not everything is as it seems.
IndieWire contacted Paramount Pictures for comment.
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