Katy O’Brian Joins Glen Powell in ‘The Running Man’

Edgar Wright is directing the new adaptation of the dystopian Steven King novel, which previous provided the source for a 1987 Schwarzenegger movie.

Katy O'Brian in 'Love Lies Bleeding.' Photo: A24.

Preview:

‘Loves Lies Bleeding’ breakout Katy O’Brian is joining the new ‘The Running Man.’
Glen Powell is starring.
Edgar Wright co-wrote and will direct the adaptation.

Katy O’Brian has been getting a lot of attention of late, not least because of her role in Sundance hit ‘Love Lies Bleeding.’

She has now scored one of the main roles in the next movie from ‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Last Night in Soho’ director Edgar Wright, who for a while now has been planning to make an adaptation of Steven King story ‘The Running Man.’

The dystopian tale has already seen screens before –– it was adapted into a 1987 action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (then at the height of his movie stardom), which, while it’s far from excellent, has a cult following.

Wright is bringing his own spin to it, having co-written the script with his ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World’ collaborator Michael Bacall and scoring no less a star than Glen Powell to lead the movie.

The Running Man

"It is the year 2019. "The Running Man" is a deadly game no one has ever survived. But Schwarzenegger has yet to play."

R1 hr 41 minNov 13th, 1987

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What’s the story of ‘The Running Man’?

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Captain Benjamin "Ben" Richards in 'The Running Man.'

‘Running Man,’ which King published in 1982 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, was set in 2025 in an America under a totalitarian regime that uses violent game shows to placate the disenfranchised masses.

The story centered on one desperate man, needing money for his sick daughter, who joins the most popular show, ‘The Running Man,’ in which teams of killers hunt down contestants. The longer that a contestant survives, the more money that person makes. But as the game show’s producers and killers will find out, our conflicted hero will break all the rules and expose the show’s dark secrets.

Powell is playing the main character, while O’Brian would be one of the other contestants –– though given her background in bodybuilding, we could also see her as one of the show’s stars whom Powell has to defeat.

Where else have I seen Katy O’Brian?

Katy O'Brian as Jentorra in Marvel Studios' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.' Photo by Jay Maidment. © 2022 Marvel.

While ‘Love Lives Bleeding,’ (in which she co-starred opposite Kristen Stewart) brought her a lot of attention, Katy O’Brian has been working steadily for years.

Her notable past jobs include a run on CW DC series ‘Black Lightning’ as Major Sara Grey, appearances on shows such as ‘Westworld,’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ and movies including ‘Sweet Girl’ and ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.’

Next up for her in release date terms is an unknown role in the next ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie, which lands in theaters on May 23rd next year.

And ‘The Running Man’ won’t even represent her first collaboration with Powell, as she was also seen as part of his crew in this summer’s disaster movie hit ‘Twisters.’