The Running Man’s Naïve New Ending, Explained
Stephen King spoke about the new ending in the 2025 film The Running Man. The film is based on his 1982 novel. It follows Ben Richards, played by Glen Powell, who joins a deadly game show to earn money for his sick child.
Both the book and the film take place in a bleak future America. Ben faces hired hunters who chase contestants for sport. The story keeps most of the book’s structure. The change appears in the final act.
Before the film’s release, King told Entertainment Weekly that he liked director Edgar Wright’s ending. He said readers would enjoy how the film gives them “both ways” without giving details.
The book’s ending is harsh. Ben hijacks a car, takes Amelia hostage, and heads to an airport. He boards a plane with lead hunter Evan McCone and Amelia. He claims he has a bomb. The network chief, Killian, learns he is lying. He still offers Ben a job to keep ratings high. Killian then tells Ben that his family is dead. Ben kills McCone, saves Amelia with a parachute, and flies the plane into the network building. The blast kills him and Killian.
The film follows a different path. The plane is shot down before impact. The network announces Ben’s death. A fan later claims Ben survived by using an escape pod. The film confirms this when Ben secretly pays for groceries for his wife and daughter. They are alive. He reunites with them in a quiet moment.
Ben then turns into a vigilante. He returns to the game show set with a crowd behind him. He confronts Killian and shoots him on camera. The mob destroys the set.
Wright said King read the script early and supported the new ending. He added that King found the film close to the book but still fresh. King said it stayed faithful to the spirit of the story while giving him surprises. Wright believed this balance would keep longtime readers alert, much like the story keeps Ben on edge.
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