Remake of Stephen King Cult Sci-Fi Classic Stumbles at Box Office With Low Opening

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Movie theaters haven’t seen much success this fall, with October being particularly slow – it was one of the worst Octobers in years for ticket sales. Many films, both big blockbusters and potential award winners, didn’t perform well. Last weekend’s release of Predator: Badlands finally changed things, exceeding expectations and setting opening weekend records. Theater owners are hoping for a boost from Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 during the Thanksgiving holiday, and they were curious if this week’s new movies would keep the positive trend going. However, those films didn’t quite maintain that momentum.

The new magic heist film, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, earned $21.3 million in its opening weekend, making it the top movie in the US, according to Variety. It outperformed The Running Man, which took in $17 million, and Predator: Badlands with $13 million. While The Running Man had the biggest opening weekend of any Stephen King movie this year, its $17 million earnings were lower than the predicted $20-25 million.

Can The Running Man Have Legs at the Box Office?

With a $110 million budget, The Running Man needs to perform well over time to be profitable, but that seems unlikely. Critics have given the film mixed reviews – it has the lowest score of director Edgar Wright’s career – pointing to an inconsistent story and overall feel. Most agree the movie isn’t bad, but it doesn’t quite live up to its potential, making it less of a draw for audiences in theaters. This lukewarm reception will likely impact how much money it makes in the long run. Had it received the strong praise Wright’s other films often get, it would have had a better chance of lasting at the box office.

While The Running Man isn’t expected to compete with big hits like Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2, there was some hope it could perform similarly to Gladiator II – attracting fans of R-rated action movies and offering something different during the holiday season. However, Predator: Badlands, despite also being PG-13 and already in theaters, seems more likely to fill that role. Unlike The Running Man, Badlands has received positive reviews and is continuing to attract audiences. It will also be worth watching how Now You See Me: Now You Don’t performs as the holidays approach.

Paramount was optimistic about The Running Man, even delaying its release to secure better screens. While the film benefited from the popularity of Stephen King and star Glen Powell’s previous successes, it needed more positive buzz to become a major hit. Director Edgar Wright is highly respected by film fans, but his movies haven’t consistently been box office successes. Only one of his films, Baby Driver ($227.1 million worldwide), has earned over $100 million, meaning his name alone doesn’t usually guarantee a large audience.

Just because a movie doesn’t do well in theaters doesn’t mean it’s a failure. Many films are finding success thanks to streaming services, and this year has been a prime example. With movies becoming available for home viewing so quickly after their theatrical release, many people now prefer to watch them on platforms like PVOD or Paramount+, as we’re seeing with The Running Man. It’s likely that the latest film from Wright will also climb the home media charts once its theatrical run is finished. While everyone involved would have preferred a box office hit, strong performance at home would still be a positive outcome.

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2025-11-16 20:41