Actor Glen Powell has been officially cast as Ben Richards in Edgar Wright’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel The Running Man. A unique condition preceded Powell’s signing: he needed direct approval from the legendary author Stephen King himself. Powell revealed this requirement during New York Comic Con, recounting the anxious waiting period he endured.

Edgar Wright offered Powell the role on the condition that King would review his performance in the 2023 romantic crime comedy Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater. Powell explained, “I had to wait overnight for Stephen King to watch ‘Hit Man’ and hope that I still had the role in the morning. It’s terrible,” highlighting the pressure he faced.

King was impressed with Powell’s performance, granting his approval and officially confirming him as Ben Richards, a working-class man forced by desperation to enter a deadly television program. In this dystopian narrative, contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every moment broadcast to a bloodthirsty public.

The original 1982 novel had a 1987 film adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Wright has promised a modernized take that remains faithful to King’s story while incorporating contemporary societal elements. Powell added, “The coolest part about this [film]… Edgar decided to take this [story] — loyal to the book — out in the real world. Citizens can record [and] report you. They can take you out. So there’s this sort of, like, ever-present feeling of tension that’s throughout the entire movie. It’s relentless.”