Stephen King had a huge year in 2025, with many of his popular books being adapted into movies and TV shows. And it looks like his presence on screen will only continue to grow! With projects like a Carrie series planned for 2026, and TV adaptations of The Dark Tower and Fairy Tale in development, fans are now enjoying a newly released remake of one of King’s beloved science fiction stories, and it’s quickly become a streaming favorite.
Edgar Wright’s new movie, The Running Man, started streaming on Paramount+ on January 13th, just two months after it came out in theaters. This isn’t the first time King’s 1982 novel has been adapted for the screen – Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a version back in 1987. This new film is set in a bleak, futuristic world and follows Ben Richards, played by Glen Powell, a struggling worker who enters the dangerous game show The Running Man to earn money for his daughter’s medical care. The show forces contestants to survive for 30 days while being pursued by skilled killers.
Despite being newly added to Paramount+, The Running Man has quickly become the most popular show in the U.S. It’s currently beating out other top contenders like Roofman, Regretting You, Fighting, and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.
The Running Man Was One of the Biggest Disappointments of 2025
As a huge fan of both Wright and Powell, I was really excited for The Running Man, especially knowing how well Stephen King adaptations usually do at the box office. But honestly, it was a major letdown. Despite all the hype and the big names involved, the film flopped, earning only $68 million on a $100 million budget – making it one of the year’s biggest bombs. Critics weren’t impressed either, pointing out that it felt poorly made, the tone was all over the place, and the action just wasn’t very exciting. It just didn’t live up to the standards we’ve come to expect from Wright, which was a real shame.
Despite some criticism, the new film The Running Man actually performed better than the 1987 version on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a 63% score from critics and a 78% audience rating, compared to the original’s 59% and 61%. While not the strongest Stephen King adaptation of the year, it’s still an exciting and intelligent take on the source material, successfully capturing the book’s essence with fast-paced action, solid acting—particularly from Powell—and relevant social themes. Spencer Perry of ComicBook gave the film a 3 out of 5, calling it “good, not great,” and noting that even an average movie from this director is better than most mainstream releases.
What’s New on Paramount+
Paramount+ added a lot of new movies and shows this January, including The Running Man. Viewers can now stream films like 10 Cloverfield Lane and all three original Scream movies, along with Paramount+ exclusives such as Barron’s Cove, and classics like The Crow and Zodiac.
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2026-01-13 18:41