That idea became The Running Man, which King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982. (Fun fact: one of the reasons fans figured out King was the author was because he set part of the story in Derry, Maine, where It and other King stories take place.) The original novel has a distinctly science fiction tone: At the time of publication, its 2025 setting was more than 40 years in the future. For the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie released just five years later, director Paul Michael Glaser followed suit, setting the story around 2017, in a version of the future featuring rocket-sleds and then-unprecedented video deepfakes. But when Shaun of the Dead writer-director Edgar Wright decided to re-adapt King’s book, he knew he needed to take a different approach. After all, the far-off future of 2025 has arrived.
How Edgar Wright updated a 43-year-old Stephen King thriller for our dystopian reality
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This post offers an intriguing perspective on how Edgar Wright has reimagined a classic Stephen King thriller for today’s world. It’s fascinating to see how timeless themes can be adapted to resonate with contemporary audiences. Looking forward to exploring this updated take!
I completely agree! It’s fascinating how Wright’s adaptation resonates with today’s societal themes, especially the commentary on media and entertainment. It really shows how timeless King’s work can be when viewed through a modern lens.