When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: Tri-Star Pictures, Paramount Pictures<\/p>\n There is no greater indication that someone is getting old than seeing movies you grew up watching getting remade. Such is my feeling with the brand new version of The Running Man<\/a> starring Glen Powell that hit theaters on November 14. The original Arnold Schwarzenegger movie<\/a> is one that I saw countless times on television as a kid. It\u2019s possibly the Schwarzenegger movie I\u2019ve seen more than any other.<\/p>\n I was excited to see the new remake from director Edgar Wright. It\u2019s a much more faithful version of Stephen King\u2019s original dystopian nightmare, but with some of Edgar Wright\u2019s trademark style thrown into the mix. There are a lot of reasons to appreciate a more faithful remake, but there is one part of the first film that was absolutely brilliant that I wish the remake had borrowed.<\/p>\n Credit: Paramount Pictures<\/p>\n While the first adaptation of The Running Man is drastically different<\/a> from Stephen King\u2019s story, the most wildly different take is the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a massive human being, to play Ben Richards, much more of an everyman in the book. There is, however, an absolutely brilliant piece of casting in the film that goes a long way to making the movie, Richard Dawson as Damon Killian.<\/p>\n In the novel, as in the new movie, Dan Killian is the producer of The Running Man while the show is hosted by Bobby Thompson (or Bobby T as played by Colman Domingo<\/a> in the new movie). The original film combines these roles into Damon Killian, both producer and host, who was played by Richard Dawson, who had only recently left as the actual host of Family Feud<\/a>.<\/p>\n The decision to bring in an actor who was known primarily as a game show host, and to make that host, generally well-loved by audiences, absolutely despicable and the ultimate villain of the movie, was genius. It was an absolutely amazing subversion of expectations. It\u2019s one of the earliest memories I have of seeing an actor work \u201cagainst type\u201d in a big way, and the new film could have really had some fun if it had gone the same route.<\/p>\n Credit: Paramount Pictures<\/p>\n Colman Domingo plays the host of The Running Man in the new film, and, because he\u2019s Colman Domingo, he\u2019s great. It\u2019s a small role without a great deal of depth, but it\u2019s a character who only needs to be charismatic, and Domingo has that in bunches.<\/p>\n That said, I can\u2019t help but think the movie could have had some real fun if it had gone the same route as the original Running Man and cast an actual game show host in the role of Bobby T. Imagine if the movie had gone with Steve Harvey, the current host of Family Feud<\/a>, but made him a truly terrible person. Personally, I would have loved to see Ryan Seacrest, the host of, I think, everything on TV<\/a> except Family Feud, play the most awful version of himself that he possibly could.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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The Original Running Man Had An Inspired Piece Of Casting<\/h2>\n
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The Running Man Remake Should Have Brought In A Modern Game Show Host<\/h2>\n