Glen Powell is running towards superstardom. The Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters leading man has been making a name for himself these past few years as a singular sort of everyman Hollywood megastar. And he will continue that streak, it seems, in the latest Edgar Wright project, a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, The Running Man, which began filming this week in London.
In new Daily Mail images from the set, Powell is looking retro-futuristic as he makes his way through crowds of extras in front of the iconic Battersea Power Station in London, England.
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Production will soon be underway on Edgar Wright’s long-awaited The Running Man remake.
What is Edgar Wright and Glen Powell’s The Running Man About?
The Running Man is based on a novel of the same name, written by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982. Previously adapted by director Paul Michael Glaser with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role, the original film was a very loose adaptation that took place in 2017.
However, Wright has stated that his take — co-written alongside Michael Bacall — will hew closer to the novel’s origins, meaning it is likely that this The Running Man will be set during the year 2025. Taking place in a dystopian United States that is proverbially running on fumes and in shambles economically (due to the rising violence worldwide), the novel follows a man named Ben Richards who decides to participate in the titular reality show, where contestants win money by evading a team of professional hitmen sent to kill them.
And, as if Powell wasn’t already busy enough, he’s apparently finishing up his education while shooting The Running Man. While speaking with IndieWire, the actor revealed that he’ll be jumping between the London production and the University of Texas campus in order to finish his Spanish and Early American history degree.
Glen Powell Has Always Wanted to Work with Edgar Wright
Powell has made a name for himself the past few years playing leading man-handsome, but character actor-complicated roles in some of the biggest blockbusters of the past few years. But the Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead director has long been the man he’s wanted to work with most.
While speaking with ScreenRant, Powell had heaps to say about his love of Wright’s style and this adaptation specifically:
“Edgar Wright has been one of my favorite filmmakers for as long as I can remember. I think since Shaun of the Dead, I was like, ‘I can’t wait to work with this guy.’ And he just keeps churning out brilliant things that only his brain could concoct. … The Running Man is something he’s so passionate about, and we’re really taking the Stephen King book and just adding a lot of fun Edgar Wright flavor to it, and it has been awesome. That’s going to be a really fun one; I’m super excited about it.”
In the new photos, London’s iconic Battersea Power Station can be seen being swarmed with extras in militaristic, police-style gear, as well as 80s-inspired retro clothing. Old cars from the era were parked up alongside the building, garnering looks from passersby. Elsewhere on set, Wright and Powell can be seen laughing with crew members in between takes.
Now that the production is up and, ahem, running, new photos will likely continue to surface and get us excited for whatever Wright and Powell have in store for us. Other actors confirmed to be tackling parts in the film include Lee Pace, Josh Brolin, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, and Emilia Jones.