The Running Man Surges On Streaming After Box Office Flop

Edgar Wright’s much-anticipated remake of The Running Man may have stumbled at the box office in 2025, but as the new year unfolds, the dystopian thriller is enjoying a remarkable resurgence—this time on streaming platforms. According to multiple sources, including ComicBook.com and FlixPatrol, Wright’s adaptation, starring Glen Powell, has soared to the top of Paramount+’s daily most-watched chart in the United States as of January 16, 2026. Even the 1987 classic version, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, is racing up the same chart, landing at No. 3 and reigniting interest in Stephen King’s original 1982 novel.

The story of The Running Man is as relevant as ever: Ben Richards, desperate to provide medicine for his daughter, enters a deadly reality competition where surviving 30 days while being hunted by trained killers—and ordinary citizens—could win him a billion dollars. In Wright’s 2025 film, Glen Powell takes on the role of Richards, supported by William H. Macy and Lee Pace. The film, clocking in at 133 minutes and released on November 11, 2025, was initially met with mixed critical reception and a disappointing box office haul—grossing just $68.6 million against a hefty $110 million production budget, as reported by Screen Rant.

Yet, sometimes a movie’s true audience finds it later. In the first weeks of 2026, The Running Man has found a second wind. On Paramount+, the film is currently the most-watched title in the U.S., surpassing even high-profile releases like the Tom Cruise action sequel Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and the Colleen Hoover romance adaptation Regretting You. Internationally, the movie is also shining—FlixPatrol’s proprietary metrics place it at No. 1 on Rakuten TV in Ukraine and atop the Apple TV store in Estonia, Namibia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. This cross-platform momentum is not only helping to recoup some of the film’s theatrical losses but also revitalizing the entire Running Man franchise.

Of course, the original 1987 adaptation—directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Schwarzenegger—remains a cult favorite. That film grossed $38.1 million against a $27 million budget and, thanks to the renewed attention, it’s now climbing streaming charts alongside its newer sibling. The franchise’s enduring appeal may be rooted in its prescient themes of media spectacle, class struggle, and survival, all of which feel especially timely in today’s entertainment-saturated world.

Critical response to Wright’s version has been a mixed bag. As Polygon notes, the film "never fully gels, either as a righteous piece of eat-the-rich pop-culture escapism, or as sharper cultural commentary." The reviewer goes on to describe the action beats as "familiar and predictable" and the futuristic world-building as "minimal, understated, and generic," lamenting that these elements are "never used cleverly or to a larger point." Still, there’s praise for Glen Powell’s performance: "Powell turns in a winning, sympathetic, and certainly game performance as Richards, a man pushed to the brink by his limited options and the need to protect his family." Early in the film, his character is convincingly painted as both dangerously angry and dangerously kind, "prone to helping other people in ways that consistently get him into trouble." However, the reviewer adds that as the story progresses, Richards becomes "more and more anonymous and standard-issue-action-hero."

While The Running Man is grabbing headlines, it’s not the only title making waves on streaming platforms this January. Tubi, the free ad-supported streamer, has added a slew of genre-spanning films to its catalog, including Pulp Fiction, Hereditary, Mulholland Drive, and Jumanji. Among these, Love Lies Bleeding—a 2024 romantic thriller from A24—has quickly become a standout. Starring Katy O’Brian (who also appears in The Running Man) and Kristen Stewart, the film follows the intense romance between a rising bodybuilder and a reclusive gym manager, set against the backdrop of a criminal family in 1989.

Despite a limited theatrical release and a modest $12.5 million global box office, Love Lies Bleeding earned critical acclaim, boasting a “Certified Fresh” 94% critic score and an 81% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as “a glorious work of sweaty, dusty pulp filmmaking” and “a hot-blooded crime story,” lauding its genre-bending chaos, neo-noir crime, queer romance, surrealism, and body horror. The film’s gritty 1980s New Mexico setting and synth-heavy score, coupled with the intense performances of Stewart and O’Brian, have led many to predict it will become a future cult classic. Now available for free on Tubi as of January 1, 2026, the film is reaching a wider audience and further establishing O’Brian as a rising star in the thriller genre.

The streaming boom isn’t just limited to Paramount+ and Tubi. Across Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, and Shudder, viewers are spoiled for choice. Bone Lake, an erotic thriller, The Toxic Avenger starring Peter Dinklage, and Black Phone 2 are among the notable new releases. But it’s The Running Man that stands out as the week’s most-discussed title, with its blend of dystopian spectacle and timely social commentary.

For fans of the franchise, the recent streaming success of both The Running Man adaptations is more than a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It’s a testament to the enduring power of speculative fiction and the ways in which stories about survival, spectacle, and rebellion continue to resonate. As streaming platforms become the new battleground for cinematic relevance, movies like The Running Man prove that sometimes, a film’s real victory comes not in its opening weekend, but in its ability to capture the imagination of viewers long after the credits roll in theaters.

With a growing audience rediscovering these films from the comfort of their living rooms, it’s clear that, for The Running Man, the game is far from over.