What does Stephen King think of the new ending of Running Man?

The writer gave his opinion on Edgar Wright’s version and this is what he says…

It starts running today on our screens.

THE Running Man by Edgar Wright is already much more faithful to Stephen King’s dystopian novel published in 1982 (under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) than the 1987 version with Arnold Schwarzenegger. And yet, this new adaptation radically changes the ending.

Beware of spoilers at the end of the film!

In the original book, Ben Richards takes the controls of a plane and heads straight for the headquarters of the Games Network, the company behind the deadly game show. Wounded by a gunshot, Richards crashes into the building with Dan Killian, the antagonist, causing a cataclysmic explosion: “Its tanks were still more than a quarter full. Its speed slightly over five hundred miles per hour. The explosion was immense, illuminating the night like the wrath of God.writes King. The ending is total, violent, but also ambiguous: we don’t know if Ben’s family was really killed or if Killian was lying.

Edgar Wright covers the basics: Ben (here played by Glen Powell) seizes the plane and rushes towards the building, but in the film, the network shoots down the plane before it crashes. Richards is believed to be dead… but he survived. The final scene shows Ben leading a rebellion and confronting Killian (Josh Brolin) ahead of the game’s next season, killing the antagonist live. A much clearer and more spectacular ending than that of the novel, which risks dividing purist fans.

However, Stephen King approves of this version.

In an interview with Entertainment Weeklyhe confides:

“I really like the new ending of Edgar’s version. I can’t say too much about it — spoilers — but I think readers of the novel will be satisfied, because they have both versions. You know what I mean, and I bet you do.”

Edgar Wright, for his part, admits that he was particularly nervous before King read the script: “He loved it. He told me it was much more faithful to the book (than the 1987 film), but different enough that it was exciting for him.”

An unexpected validation, especially when we know to what extent the author criticized the film carried by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which he compared to the parody film Spinal Tapwhich his wife watched when blocking the ears.