Remake of Stephen King Sci-Fi Classic Projected to Set 2025 Box Office Record

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Several Stephen King stories have been adapted into well-received films this year, but those positive reviews haven’t translated into big box office numbers. Of the three King movies released in 2025 so far, The Monkey earned the most domestically with $39.7 million, followed by The Long Walk ($35.1 million) and The Life of Chuck ($6.7 million). Before the year ends, another King adaptation is hoping to be a bigger hit in theaters. This weekend, Edgar Wright’s version of The Running Man comes out, and marketing has positioned it as a fun, action-packed movie. Early box office predictions suggest The Running Man will be the most commercially successful Stephen King adaptation of the year.

Variety reports that The Running Man is expected to earn between $20 and $25 million in its opening weekend in the US and Canada. This would be the biggest opening weekend of any film starring King this year, surpassing the $14 million earned by The Monkey in February. It could also be director Edgar Wright’s biggest opening weekend yet, exceeding the $20.5 million debut of Baby Driver. Interestingly, projections for The Running Man are the same as those for another new release this week, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. Both films are aiming to knock Predator: Badlands off the top spot, where it recently broke box office records. Badlands is now predicted to earn $18-20 million in its second weekend.

Can The Running Man Exceed Box Office Projections?

A surprising trend at the box office this year has been movies exceeding predictions. Several films, across different genres, have performed better than expected, with the recent release of Predator: Badlands being a prime example. While it was initially forecast to earn around $25 million during its opening weekend, the film actually grossed $40 million. Now, all eyes are on The Running Man to see if it can achieve similar success, though it faces some challenges as it prepares to launch.

Surprisingly, reviews for Edgar Wright’s The Running Man are quite mixed. While the film isn’t disliked, most critics agree it doesn’t quite live up to the high expectations set by Wright’s previous work. With a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes – his lowest yet – this lukewarm reception could affect how well the movie performs in theaters. In comparison, Predator: Badlands has been a critical success, praised for adding compelling depth to the Predator universe and creating a strong sense of urgency for viewers. These positive reviews played a significant role in the film’s record-breaking opening.

The Running Man is entering a competitive weekend at the box office. Unlike Badlands, which benefited from a slow October, The Running Man will be up against both the continuing success of Predator and the new release of Now You See Me: Now You Don’t. While the previous two Now You See Me films weren’t huge hits – earning $117.7 million and $65 million domestically, respectively – they still have a dedicated fanbase. The Running Man would likely perform better if it were the only major film releasing this weekend, but it’s competing with several others for viewers.

With a budget of $110 million, the new film The Running Man might face challenges at the box office. Director Wright is well-liked, but his films haven’t typically been huge commercial successes. His biggest hit, Baby Driver, earned $107.8 million domestically, boosted by strong reviews and exciting action. The Running Man hasn’t received that same level of positive buzz, but the involvement of King and Glen Powell – who has appeared in some popular films – might attract audiences.

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2025-11-13 00:40