Edgar Wright Asked Stephen King to Watch This Glen Powell Movie to Prove He Was Right About ‘The Running Man’

When it comes to actors with great dynamics, few stand out as much as Glen Powell currently does. From Top Gun: Maverick In 2022, Powell has starred in some of the most high-profile films with big box office returns, such as Anyone but you, Twistsand even a foray into television with Powers of Chad. With the recent release of The running manPowell joins an incredibly long line of actors who have appeared in Stephen King adaptations, which could include more than half of Hollywood at this point. However, this list of names does not mean that King allows anyone to play the characters he created on the page. Actually, Stephen King only gave permission for Powell’s involvement after watching one of Powell’s most underrated films: Hitman. On the surface, the film may not seem related to The running manit actually shows why Powell was the right choice for the new adaptation of King’s work.

What is “Hit Man” about?

As mentioned previously, Hitmanthe premise of couldn’t seem further from The running man. Rather than a dystopian world where a game show is set up in which everyone hunts and records the participants, Hitman is a down-to-earth comedy that pokes fun at some of the more ridiculous aspects of action movies. Glen Powell’s Gary is seen by society as a loser, both a teacher and a part-time assistant to the police on undercover surveillance. When one of the undercover agents, Jasper (Austin Amélie), is suspended, Gary must replace him as a fake hitman who extracts confessions from potential employers of his services.

Under the guise of Ron, Gary meets a woman named Madison (Adria Arjona) who wants her husband murdered, and the two form a connection that draws Gary into a complex game of hiding secrets from Madison and the police. Hitman It’s basically about whether someone can really change. The arc that Powell continues is impressive, with Gary slowly taking on more and more of Ron’s character. However, Hitman also makes a comment on how too much change can result in the loss of a part of oneself and potential corruption.

Stephen King used ‘Hit Man’ to decide if Glen Powell was right about ‘The Running Man’

With Hitman being one of Glen Powell’s most underrated films, it might have surprised him to learn that this was what Stephen King was going to base his endorsement of Powell on, but that’s exactly what happened. During New York Comic-Con, via People, Powell explained that Hitman director Edgar Wright “offered me this movie and I was like, ‘Yes.’ Wright decided to increase the anxiety by only telling Powell later, “By the way, you must be approved by Stephen King.” [going to] watch Hitman This evening.” Powell described this feeling as “terrible” and it’s easy to understand why. This is perhaps a sign of Wright’s fervor in Anyone but you star that he would give him hope and then fill him with terror. If so, at least Hitman was the perfect movie for King to watch to endorse Powell.

Glen Powell’s character in ‘Hit Man’ parallels ‘The Running Man’s Descent Into Mania’

Although it’s not as manic as The running manPowell’s role shows his ability to portray a man who slowly embraces violence. By the end of the film, Gary has accepted his ability to lie and kill, seizing the life he wants for himself, which is similar to how Ben in The running man try to win the game show to gain agency. Powell’s Gary lives in a state of paranoia during the second half of the filmalternating between the desperation and the charisma that the public has become accustomed to seeing from him over the course of several films. In doing so, he parallels the way Powell’s character in The running man could be attacked at any time.

Ultimately, Edgar Wright’s trust in Glenn Powell proved correct. Not only did Stephen King approve, but Powell’s performance in The running man received both public and critical praise. Hitman It may not be the film you immediately think of when reviewing Powell’s filmography, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your attentionand the fact that it’s on Netflix makes it the perfect date night movie.

Hitman is available for streaming on Netflix in the United States

Release date

May 24, 2024

Runtime

116 minutes

Director

Richard Linklater

Producers

Jason Bateman, John Sloss, Julie Goldstein, Steve Barnett, Stuart Ford, Glen Powell, Michael Costigan, Alan Powell, Shivani Rawat, Mike Blizzard, Miguel Palos, Vicky Patel, Megan Creydt, Scott Brown