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Stephen King’s 2025 Sci-Fi Thriller Continues Its Unstoppable Reign on Paramount+
Stephen King's 2025 film adaptation The Running Man, a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic starring Glen Powell, has become a major streaming success on Paramount+ despite flopping at the cinema. The dystopian sci-fi thriller struggled at the box office last year, but its strong performance on the streaming platform throughout 2026 is helping to offset those losses, marking a notable turnaround for one of the year's biggest theatrical disappointments.
The Running Man grossed just $69 million worldwide against a $110 million budget, reportedly costing Paramount more than $100 million and making it one of the biggest sci-fi box office failures in recent memory. It was one of several King adaptations released in 2025, alongside Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck and the low-budget hit The Long Walk, which turned a profit after grossing $63 million on a $20 million budget. Flanagan is also set to direct a Carrie adaptation for Prime Video this year.
In short
- The Running Man flopped in cinemas but thrives on Paramount+ streaming
- Film lost Paramount an estimated $100m+ at the box office
- Part of a strong 2025 slate of Stephen King adaptations
Explained simply
The Running Man is a 2025 science fiction film based on a novel by American author Stephen King. It stars actor Glen Powell and is a remake of a 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The story is set in a dystopian future and centres on a character caught up in a deadly competition.
The film had a poor theatrical release, earning only $69 million worldwide against a production budget of $110 million, making it a significant financial loss for the studio Paramount. This made it one of the biggest box office failures for science fiction films in recent years.
Despite its cinema struggles, The Running Man has found considerable success on the Paramount+ streaming service throughout 2026, helping to recover some of Paramount's losses. The turnaround highlights how streaming platforms can provide a second life for theatrical releases that fail at the box office.
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