The Running Man is likely to check different boxes for moviegoers. For Edgar Wright fans, the dystopian action thriller marks the director’s return to the big screen four years after his last film, Last Night in Soho. For Stephen King fans, the movie takes much of its source material from the famed horror author’s 1982 novel of the same name, which was published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. And for Glen Powell fans, the movie features one delightful scene with the leading man dangling eight stories in the air, naked save for a towel.
Welcome to The Running Man, which follows Ben Richards (Powell), a down-on-his-luck father desperately looking for funds to save his ailing daughter. Pushed to the edge, Ben decides to sign up to The Running Man, a deadly reality show where contestants (aptly known as Runners) must survive 30 days while being hunted down by assassins, with their whereabouts broadcast live every day until they can win the show’s cash prize.
Pulling the show’s strings is its ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin). The actor is no stranger to taking on villain roles, having shown off his antagonist chops as the corrupt cop Nick Trupo in American Gangster and as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In The Running Man, it looks like Brolin channels that another brand of menace into a dark comedy about the absurd lengths an audience will go to for entertainment.
In this exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Philippines, Brolin reflected on why working with Wright was a key factor in his decision to join the cast of The Running Man, his perspective on his character, and his experience working alongside cast members such as Powell and Colman Domingo.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Can you talk about your character, Dan Killian?
Dan Killian is on top of the totem pole right now. He runs everything. I don’t know if he’s created the show, but he’s running the show as a puppet master, and he’s very good at manipulating situations in order to exploit them and get the best ratings possible. Knowing that what people seem to want to see is whether people are able to live up to a potential, and most people are not.
What drew you to this role?
What drew me to this role? Edgar, first and foremost. Glenn and Colman, I was told about them first and foremost, which was very, very attractive to me. I’d seen Glen in Top Gun: Maverick, and I thought he was very good. And I’d seen Colman in Sing Sing. But Edgar, I’d known Edgar for a long time, so we were always looking for something to do together, and this was it. With Edgar, it’s specific. It’s his friendship. You know, I think that he’s proven to be a really great filmmaker, so I can rely on that. But then, beyond that, there’s a shorthand that we have that you don’t normally have with directors whom you don’t know and don’t have the history that we do. And we have a long history together.
What was it like working with this talented cast?
It’s a good cast. You know, I’m lucky because, you know, Weapons was a good cast. [Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery], also a great cast. You know, I’ve been very, very fortunate. But people who are professional and aren’t like Killian, bloated with their own egos, they come to the set knowing their stuff. They’re into it, and that’s great to be around. I’m a big fan of Glen’s. I have been, I think, personally, professionally, both. He’s great. Colman, same. I didn’t get to work with Michael Cera, but I thought he was great. Lee Pace, I think he’s great. So I’m just, it’s one of those things that I’m very, very lucky to be working with the people that I am.
Why do you think people will enjoy watching The Running Man?
Not just cosmetic entertainment. Something emotional, something they can identify with, something they can root for, not just on a cosmetic level, but on an emotional level.
The Running Man releases in Philippine cinemas on November 12.
