There’s One Part Of The Original Running Man Movie I Wish The Remake Had Revived

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Nothing feels quite like getting older than seeing your childhood favorites get remade. That’s how I felt about the new version of The Running Man, with Glen Powell, which came out on November 14th. I watched the original Arnold Schwarzenegger movie endlessly on TV as a kid, and it’s probably the Schwarzenegger film I’ve seen the most times.

I was really looking forward to Edgar Wright’s new film. It’s a much closer adaptation of Stephen King’s original, scary story, but still has Wright’s signature creative flair. While it’s great that this remake stays truer to the source material, there was one particularly amazing element from the first movie that I wish they had included.

The Original Running Man Had An Inspired Piece Of Casting

The film version of The Running Man differs significantly from Stephen King’s original story, but the biggest change is arguably the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the book, Ben Richards is an average person, while Schwarzenegger is a physically imposing figure. However, one casting choice truly elevates the movie: Richard Dawson as Damon Killian is absolutely perfect.

Both the original novel and the recent movie feature Dan Killian as the producer of The Running Man. The show is hosted by Bobby Thompson (played by Colman Domingo in the new film, and often called Bobby T). The original movie, however, combined the roles of producer and host into one character, Damon Killian, portrayed by Richard Dawson, who had just finished hosting the game show Family Feud.

Casting a beloved game show host as a truly awful villain was a brilliant move. It completely surprised viewers and remains one of my first memories of an actor successfully playing against their established image. The recent film could have benefited from a similar unexpected choice.

The Running Man Remake Should Have Brought In A Modern Game Show Host

Colman Domingo shines as the host of The Running Man in the new film. While it’s a relatively small part, it doesn’t require a lot of complexity – just a charismatic personality, and Domingo delivers that in spades.

It’s a shame the movie didn’t take a page from the original Running Man and cast a real game show host as Bobby T. Someone like Steve Harvey, the host of Family Feud, playing a genuinely awful character would have been great. I think it would have been hilarious to see Ryan Seacrest – who seems to host everything except Family Feud – play a truly terrible version of himself.

Even without a different host, the new Running Man is still a decent movie. Changing the host wouldn’t have fixed the disappointing ending, but it could have been a nice nod to the original, beyond just a quick appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hopefully, they’ll consider that for a future installment.

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2025-11-16 01:12