Netflix audiences are rediscovering action classic The Running Man ahead of reboot – and they’re confused

by

Without a doubt, there’s a lot of anticipation building up around Glen Powell’s forthcoming action film, “The Running Man,” which is a fresh interpretation of the Stephen King tale, penned by Edgar Wright and Michael Bacall. You can watch the trailer here.

As a devoted fan, I couldn’t help but notice that Netflix is jumping on the bandwagon of excitement for the upcoming release! In anticipation, they’ve been re-airing the 1987 classic, “The Running Man”, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger as an ordinary guy caught up in a deadly game show.

And audiences have responded, because it’s currently trending in the UK.

What to Read Next

If you haven’t watched it yet, the movie definitely has an ’80s vibe. The character of Ben Richards, originally a blue-collar everyman from Stephen King, is now a retired military hero falsely accused of murder by his superiors. Interestingly, Arnold Schwarzenegger portrays him in a striking yellow lurex jumpsuit.

In this scenario, the character is chased across multiple film sets by musclebound individuals, among them Jesse “The Body” Ventura, a former co-star of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator. These individuals are dressed as if they were participants in a Robot Wars event.

As a gaming aficionado, I’ve gotta say, that movie was an absolute blast from the past! Drenched in the spirit of the ’80s, it took me back to my childhood days. The nostalgia was through the roof!

This period was when Arnold Schwarzenegger’s famous one-liners were at their peak – following his scene where he cuts a man in two with a buzzsaw, he quips: “It seemed only fair that he should share my fate.

The fan wrote, “Half of his one-liners don’t make any sense, but with such an unyielding confidence, he delivers them without a hint of emotion.” (Here, the term “unyielding confidence” is used to imply swagger in a subtle and natural way.)

Some people find the casting of Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac in his elderly prosthetics quite unusual and seldom discussed. A character named Mick, played by him? But is he playing himself? This was a question posed by one viewer.

Another recent traveler to the ’80s zone expressed some perplexity, stating: “Hold on, isn’t this not a Tom Cruise movie?

Although it might appear so, Tom Cruise didn’t actually act in every movie from the ’80s. Sometimes, it can seem like he was in everything, but that’s not quite accurate.

As a devotee of the original “Running Man,” I must admit that its brutal satire can be quite overpowering – be wary of politicians! Be skeptical about what you see on TV! Viewers aren’t always as smart as they seem! However, despite its 80s/90s vibe, the show managed to accurately foreshadow a chilling reality: it depicted the stars getting eliminated on-screen, only to soon reveal that viewers had been deceived by those in power. This presaged the emergence of deepfake technology.

The Running Man (1987) is on Netflix now, and the reboot will be in cinemas 7 November 2025.

The new edition of Living Legends is here! Buy Gaga in newsagents or online, priced at just £8.99.

Read More

2025-09-10 14:51