Edgar Wright directing The Running Man remake

[thelittlemango]

Running Man is essentially a video game style film with an increasingly tough series of cartoon-ish boss battles, obviously a completely different tone but Edgar Wright directed Scott Pilgrim Vs The World which isn't a million miles away from that concept, wonder if that played into people's minds when giving this the go ahead.

[bgmnts]

I'm curious to see who would play the big television executive -- for American audiences, Richard Dawson was a great in-joke, as he was riding high at the time as a beloved game-show host (Family Feud). It would be the equivilent of casting Bruce Forsythe or Chris Tarrant (depending on your era) as the evil head of game-show programming.

He's black in the novella so I'm hoping for Lenny Henry.

Well, the executive Killian is. I cannot remember the host's name.

[Goldentony]

KILLIAN

HERE IS YOUR SUB SEERO

NOW?

PLAIN SEEEEROOOOHHH!!!!

[Sonny_Jim]

I'm guessing they won't use the same ending as the book, although it has been 20 years since 9/11

[SteveDave]

I'm curious to see who would play the big television executive -- for American audiences, Richard Dawson was a great in-joke, as he was riding high at the time as a beloved game-show host (Family Feud). It would be the equivilent of casting Bruce Forsythe or Chris Tarrant (depending on your era) as the evil head of game-show programming.

James Corden.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

Rewatched the Running Man last night and I'm always struck by how a lot of 80s movies seem to have something resembling anti-capitalist sentiment which is obviously not going to fly today. Felt it was like it was something of a lesser-Robocop.

[greenman]

Rewatched the Running Man last night and I'm always struck by how a lot of 80s movies seem to have something resembling anti-capitalist sentiment which is obviously not going to fly today. Felt it was like it was something of a lesser-Robocop.

Really I think the idea of the Reagan actioner was always a bit questionable, capitalists and the CIA tended to be either villians or at least untrustworthy. Its more actually in the Clinton era I think Hollywood goes ultra jingoistic with stuff like Independence Day.

[Goldentony]

written by the same guy who did Commando and Die Hard and directed by Starsky from Starsky and Hutch, maybe the two of the are part of the resistance

[Retinend]

Really I think the idea of the Reagan actioner was always a bit questionable, capitalists and the CIA tended to be either villians or at least untrustworthy. Its more actually in the Clinton era I think Hollywood goes ultra jingoistic with stuff like Independence Day.

I agree. Even Independence Day is only "jingoistic" against an alien threat. Hollywood (consisting of liberal people, politically) usually represents whatever the liberal consensus of the day is. Consider how many Hollywood films excoriate the intentions and execution of the Vietnam war, i.e. sympathizing with the liberal "dove" position, not the conservative "hawk" one.

Most liberals were, via allegiance to the democrats, against Reagan in the 80s. So it makes sense that 80s films seem very left wing in retrospect. That said, most of these same liberals later embraced the economic policies of reagonomics once Clinton made them part of the democratic platform a decade later in the 90s, thus removing the "conservative" stigma of being pro-market.

[Brundle-Fly]

Good call

Casino Royale (2006) wasn't a remake of the screwball 1967 Bond parody, but reclaiming the title first Ian Fleming 007 novel for the reboot, surely?

[Vitalstatistix]

I agree. Even Independence Day is only "jingoistic" against an alien threat. Hollywood (consisting of liberal people, politically) usually represents whatever the liberal consensus of the day is. Consider how many Hollywood films excoriate the intentions and execution of the Vietnam war, i.e. sympathizing with the liberal "dove" position, not the conservative "hawk" one.

Not saying you're wrong but I listened to a very interesting podcast recently about how horrendously racist (mainly Islamophobic) Hollywood action films have pretty much always been which puts across a slightly different viewpoint. Slightly off topic but I would recommend.

https://soundcloud.com/citationsneeded/episode-113-hollywood-anti-muslim-racism-part-1-action-and-adventure-schlock

[MidnightShambler]

I don't know whether it's age or whatever but having watched it the first time it was around, it wasn't considered a campy joke of a film at all. It was fucking brilliant, nobody laughed at it as being absurd. It's got a great premise and the right level of tension, it's only in hindsight people think it's hokey.

If they do, even. I've never actually encountered that opinion in real life.

[St_Eddie]

Running Man is essentially a video game style film with an increasingly tough series of cartoon-ish boss battles, obviously a completely different tone but Edgar Wright directed Scott Pilgrim Vs The World which isn't a million miles away from that concept, wonder if that played into people's minds when giving this the go ahead.

A budget of $85 million with a box office total of $48 million would suggest not.

[chveik]

a vague pejorative portrayal of the market or imperialistic wars isn't enough to make a film 'left wing'. some eighties action films looking revolutionary compared to the films we have now is pretty depressing though

[Retinend]

a vague pejorative portrayal of the market or imperialistic wars isn't enough to make a film 'left wing'

Firstly, I said they (films like Rambo, Robocop, or The Running Man) "seem" left wing by today's standards:

Most liberals were, via allegiance to the democrats, against Reagan in the 80s. So it makes sense that 80s films seem very left wing in retrospect.

But now I'm thinking that even that was an unnecessary qualification: they were left wing. Liberals are on the left wing.

[phantom_power]

A budget of $85 million with a box office total of $48 million would suggest not.

I bet that film has more than made its money back on DVD, Blu-Ray and merchandise sales. It is also a big fan favourite with a pretty large following that will see his next film, even if they were late to the game with Scott Pilgrim. I think that film is seen as a "success" now, even if it wasn't on initial release

[chveik]

Liberals are on the left wing.

not all of them, far from it.

anyway left/right wing aren't very useful categories when it comes to discussing films

[wooders1978]

I think Wright is a good director but o hope this will give him an opportunity to outgrow his "style" and produce a gritty, true to the source material, running man - which is a brilliant story I gave thought for many years would translate well to a film - I don't want another campfest but gritty films don't tend to make $$$'s so I think I'm going to be disappointed

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I'm not sure how we're defining 'gritty', but the John Wick series has proven to be both violent as fuck and a reliable money spinner. I've not read the Running Man book though. If it's supposed to be like It's a Knockout directed by Ken Loach then, yeah, is probably not going to clean up.

Wright's upcoming horror flick, Last Night in Soho is going to be an interesting sign of where he might go next. I think Baby Driver was meant to mark a move away from comedy for him, except it still had a thread of humour woven through it, which left it seeming a bit half arsed.

[Sonny_Jim]

I think Wright is a good director but o hope this will give him an opportunity to outgrow his "style" and produce a gritty, true to the source material,

I don't remember the book being particularly gritty, although I found it pretty depressing.  I guess that Richard Bachman was King in his most cocaine of cocaine days.

I don't want another campfest but gritty films don't tend to make $$$'s so I think I'm going to be disappointed

Batman TDK kicked off a grittyfest so bad we are still feeling it's effects on cinema over a decade later.

[wooders1978]

Well, gritty compared to the Arnie flick I suppose - nah, now I am thinking about it, especially the end, the book is pretty fucking gritty

[Bad Ambassador]

I'm curious to see who would play the big television executive -- for American audiences, Richard Dawson was a great in-joke, as he was riding high at the time as a beloved game-show host (Family Feud). It would be the equivilent of casting Bruce Forsythe or Chris Tarrant (depending on your era) as the evil head of game-show programming.

Noel.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Michael Barrymore.

[Bence Fekete]

Besides the central premise, the book and film are worlds apart. The book is much more of a realist take where Richards spends his time ducking and divin' through the underbelly to avoid detection whereas Hollywood turned it into Commando meets Rocky Horror.

I liked both, however, for what they were. As well-worn as the plot might be it is a great plot. Hard to imagine anyone fucking it up too royally apart from E-Wright, who hasn't impressed much outside of the Spaced/Pegg framework that catapulted him into Tarantino's cinema club. Glad to be proven wrong tho

[St_Eddie]

Besides the central premise, the book and film are worlds apart. The book is much more of a realist take where Richards spends his time ducking and divin' through the underbelly to avoid detection whereas Hollywood turned it into Commando meets Rocky Horror.

I liked both, however, for what they were. As well-worn as the plot might be it is a great plot. Hard to imagine anyone fucking it up too royally apart from E-Wright, who hasn't impressed much outside of the Spaced/Pegg framework that catapulted him into Tarantino's cinema club. Glad to be proven wrong tho

Pretty much sums up my own feelings on the matter.