Paramount Pictures has tapped director Edgar Wright to helm a new big-screen adaptation of The Running Man.
According to Deadline, the project will be a far more faithful adaptation of the 1982 Stephen King novel than the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring film. Wright will co-write the script with Michael Bacall, while Simon Kinberg, Audrey Chon and Nira Park will produce.
Published in 1982, The Running Man centers on Ben Richards, a contestant on a game show in a dystopian future in which the players are declared enemies of the state and chased down by Hunters. The contestants earn $100 for certain milestones, with the grand prize of $1 billion going to anyone who's able to survive for 30 days. The story ends with Richards dying after crashing a plane into the headquarters of the Games Network.
As for the 1987 film, it featured Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a falsely accused criminal who competes on a similarly formatted game show but with the prize being a state pardon. The movie -- directed by Paul Michael Glaser -- grossed $38.12 million worldwide on a $27 million budget and earned average reviews.
Source: Deadline