Stephen King Breaks Silence On Divisive Sci-Fi Remake’s New Ending

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This post contains spoilers for The Running Man

I’ve been following the development of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man adaptation with a lot of excitement, and it’s fascinating to hear about his approach. He really wanted to stay truer to Stephen King‘s original novel than the 80s movie did, but naturally, some changes were made for the screen. The biggest shift, and the one I think was most thoughtfully done, was the ending. In the book, the hero crashes a plane, which would understandably bring up difficult memories for many. Wright made the call to alter that, and thankfully, King himself signed off on it! It’s great to now hear directly from King about how he feels about the new direction—it sounds like he’s really pleased with how it turned out.

Stephen King recently told Entertainment Weekly that he really enjoyed the new ending to The Running Man. He explained he can’t reveal details to avoid spoilers, but believes fans of the original novel will appreciate it because it offers a satisfying outcome that works in multiple ways. He hinted that it gives readers the best of both worlds.

The Running Man Earned Mixed Reviews (and the Ending Is a Sticking Point)

There was a lot of anticipation for The Running Man before it came out, as director Edgar Wright is known for making fun, exciting movies. While first impressions were good, full reviews showed a more mixed reaction. The film currently has a ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but with a score of 63%, it’s Wright’s lowest-rated movie to date. Critics and audiences generally enjoyed Wright’s inventive action sequences and Glen Powell’s performance, but many felt the movie didn’t quite live up to its full potential, with some specifically criticizing the ending.

Stephen King’s The Running Man tries to offer both a satisfying resolution and stay true to the spirit of the original story. Director Paul Michael Wright crafted an ending where the show’s villain, Dan Killian, receives his punishment (mirroring his fate in the book), and the hero, Ben Richards, is happily reunited with his family. While changing the novel’s bleak ending – where Richards dies in a plane crash – is understandable, as Wright generally prefers optimistic finales, some viewers find the way it’s done problematic. Specifically, the film abruptly stops for a scene where a supporting character, The Apostle, explains what happened. It’s clear what Wright intended, but the execution feels a little clumsy.

It’s worth noting that The Running Man isn’t the only Stephen King adaptation released this year with a different ending. The film adaptation of The Long Walk also received a new finale, and it was generally better received than The Running Man. Some viewers actually believe the new ending for The Long Walk is superior to the book’s, arguing that it reinforces the story’s central themes and maintains the dark, oppressive atmosphere. While The Running Man has a broader scope, both stories share a similar premise: people competing in a deadly game show controlled by a controlling government. Given this, the original premise of The Running Man is quite bleak, which may explain why some viewers find the film’s optimistic ending jarring. A darker conclusion, where the protagonist Richards doesn’t survive, might have been a better fit for the story’s tone.

Everyone has different opinions about how The Running Man ends, but it’s good to see Stephen King approve of the movie. He’s known for being honest about adaptations of his work, so his praise for this version, directed by Wright, is significant. While he likely wouldn’t say anything overly critical so soon after the film’s release – to avoid hurting ticket sales – his positive reaction might encourage more people to see it in theaters.

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2025-11-15 01:10