When and where to stream 'The Running Man'? Glen Powell's sci-fi actioner finally hits the small screen
After opening to mixed critical reviews and performing poorly at the box office, 'The Running Man' is now heading to the streamers. Glen Powell's sci-fi actioner is now available for streaming on Paramount+. The film was based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, and originally published in 1982 under his frequent pseudonym, Richard Bachman.
Directed by Edgar Wright, 'The Running Man' follows Ben Richards (Powell), a black-listed labor worker in the dystopian future. In a bid to get his family out of poverty and take care of his sick daughter, he enters into "The Running Man" game show, where he must survive 30 days and evade the network's top killers and mercenaries. Should he make it out alive, he would win $1 billion. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, and Sean Hayes.
The movie hit cinemas on November 14, 2025, and raked in an estimated $68M on a budget of $110M. Reviews from critics were largely mixed. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film's critical consensus read: "Spiritedly sprinting through grim source material, Edgar Wright's The Running Man doesn't live up to the director's high bar for inventive action extravaganzas but maintains a slick stride."
In his interview with The Wrap, Powell revealed how the role came about. "Edgar offered me the role, and then a day later, he was like, ‘Dude, I forgot to tell you, Stephen King has to approve of you," the 'Anyone, But You star said. "So he’s going to watch [Richard Linklater’s Powell-led comedic thriller] ‘Hit Man’ tonight.’ I remember I even brought over a bottle of champagne to Edgar’s, like an idiot, like, ‘I still have the cork from that night, since there are two roads how this goes.’ But no, thank God, Stephen approved and has been really supportive."
He also weighed in on his character ahead of the film's release. "He’s a guy who will do whatever it takes to show up for his family,” Powell said. "He signs up for an unwinnable game show, a game show where everyone in the world is hunting this guy. I just really identified with the frustration of someone who’s trying to do something and is not able to do it, someone who’s trying to protect the people he loves and is not able to. And that frustration turns to anger, and that’s a fun gear to tap into as an actor – a guy who’s got a short fuse, throws punches first, asks questions later."
'The Running Man' is streaming on Paramount+.
