Yes, ‘The Running Man’ is Based on a Stephen King Novel

This is a little bit trivia truth I had no thought existed till in the present day after I noticed the trailer for the brand new Working Man film, which completely slapped.Do you know that each the 1987 dystopian motion movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and its remake, starring Glen Powell, are based mostly on a novel of the identical identify by Stephen King? I had no clue, and this is why: the e-book was printed in 1982 underneath the pseudonym Richard Bachman, a pen identify King used for a handful of his earlier, darker, and extra cynical works.Using a pseudonym was a means for the prolific creator to publish a couple of e-book a yr with out over-saturating the market along with his personal identify.Man, I want I have been that prolific.Nicely, in the present day, I wish to pull aside the variations between the e-book and the films.Let’s dive in.- YouTubewww.youtube.comKey Variations Between the Novel and the FilmWhen you actually sit right here and take into consideration the plot of The Working Man, it does sound very Stephen King. However, it is wild to be taught he wrote the e-book.And I can not consider within the 80s, when King was well-known, they did not promote the unique film that means.There are some key variations between the unique film and the e-book, and we will decide up from the trailer for the brand new film that it might be extra just like the e-book.Whereas the movie shares its title and fundamental premise with the novel, the 2 are vastly completely different in plot, tone, and characterization.The ProtagonistIn King’s novel, Ben Richards is a determined, emaciated man dwelling in a polluted, totalitarian America of 2025. His motivation for getting into the lethal recreation present, “The Working Man,” is to offer cash for his critically sick younger daughter. He’s an extraordinary man compelled into extraordinary and brutal circumstances, counting on his wits to outlive.That is the essential story within the Glen Powell trailer, however means completely different than the Ben Richards portrayed by Schwarzenegger. He is a former police helicopter pilot framed for a bloodbath he refused to hold out. So he’s compelled to be within the recreation. His motivation is primarily to clear his identify and expose the corrupt authorities, a stark distinction to the novel’s determined everyman.- YouTubewww.youtube.comThe Recreation Present The televised competitors itself can also be radically completely different. Within the novel, “The Working Man” is a month-long, globe-trotting manhunt. Richards is given a head begin and should evade “Hunters” despatched to kill him, all whereas being a public enemy who could be turned in by any citizen for a reward. The world is his enviornment.That is also the plot of the Powell film, however in Arnold’s model, the film condenses the sport into a couple of hours inside an enormous, managed tv studio divided into gladiatorial zones. Richards and different contestants face a collection of flamboyant, wrestling-style “Stalkers,” every with a gimmick, just like the chainsaw-wielding Buzzsaw and the electricity-shooting Dynamo.I can see why they reduce it down within the authentic film to create a time lock and amp up the stress, however I additionally like an even bigger world the place anybody can kill the participant. The Tone King’s novel is a bleak and suspenseful thriller with a deeply pessimistic view of society and media. The ending is famously darkish, with Richards, having discovered of his household’s homicide, hijacks a airplane and flies it into the Video games Community skyscraper in a remaining act of suicidal defiance.I doubt the Powell model ends that means.The 1987 movie, then again, is a quintessential 80s motion film, full with one-liners, over-the-top violence, and a extra hopeful, crowd-pleasing finale the place Richards not solely survives but additionally exposes the lies of the community, resulting in a preferred rebellion and a triumphant finale the place he will get the woman and defeats the villainous recreation present host, Damon Killian.Summing It All Up It is attention-grabbing to see that the upcoming model is reportedly a extra devoted adaptation of King’s authentic novel, however I do love the Schwarzenegger film and suppose it made key concessions to turn into an enormous motion hit of the time.All in all, it was enjoyable to be taught that this was all based mostly on King’s concepts, and made me wish to revisit a few of his different hidden novels.Let me know what you suppose within the feedback.