Now's Your Last Chance to Stream the Original 'Running Man' Movie Actorsvaultpro

If you want to catch the original version of Stephen King‘s The Running Man before the remake lands on the big screen this November, you only have a few days to do so. The 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently streaming on Netflix, but it’s set to leave the streamer on November 1.

Although it shares some elements with the original story by King, the 1987 adaptation focuses more on the action elements, features a physically stronger lead, and loses the bleaker and more dystopian side of the story (the film’s ending also differs drastically). The 1982 novel, which King claims was written in a single week, was published by the horror author under the pseudonym Richard Bachman.

The Running Man follows the story of Ben Richards (Schwarzenegger), a former soldier who refuses to follow orders during an operation. Framed for a massacre and sent to a labor camp, Richards escapes months later and tries to contact his brothers, but he’s eventually recaptured.

Damon Killian, the host of the reality competition series The Running Man, becomes aware of Richards, and he offers the fugitive a chance at redemption. If Richards can survive a deadly manhunt broadcast on primetime television, he’ll be freed, and also win some cash. Per the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of the film:

In the year 2019, America is a totalitarian state where the favorite television program is “The Running Man” – a game show in which prisoners must run to freedom to avoid a brutal death. Having been made a scapegoat by the government, an imprisoned Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has the opportunity to make it back to the outside again by being a contestant on the deadly show, although the twisted host, Damon Killian (Richard Dawson), has no intention of letting him escape.

1987’s version of The Running Man was released to a lukewarm reception at the box office, managing to gross a little over $38 million against its $27 million production budget. Even though it was released at the peak of Schwarzenegger’s rise to Hollywood stardom, it failed to capture the attention of audiences as well as critics. Today, the film has a 65% Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score, while the audience score is slightly lower, at 61%.

Ben Richards Will Run Again in 2025 With Edgar Wright’s Modern Adaptation of ‘The Running Man’

Glen Powell holds a shiny baton in 2025’s The Running Man

Paramount Pictures

2025 sees the release of a modern adaptation of King’s original novel. The Running Man is set to be released in theaters on November 14 by Paramount Pictures. The film is one of several King adaptations to be released in 2025, which has also seen the arrival of The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, and The Long Walk.

The Running Man was directed by Edgar Wright, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Michael Bacall. The film is led by new action star Glen Powell, and the supporting cast includes Katy O’Brian, Colman Domingo, Josh Brolin, Willian H. Macy, Michael Cera, Lee Pace, and Emilia Jones.