Glen Powell Says Arnold Schwarzenegger Gave Him His ‘Full Blessing’ to Star in a ‘Running Man’ Remake

variety.com:

Lauren Coates Glen Powell got the go-ahead from Arnold Schwarzenegger to take on the role of Ben Richards in a remake of his 1987 action flick “The Running Man.” At a launch event for his new condiment line, Smash Kitchen, Powell told People that he spoke to Schwarzenegger via FaceTime and got his blessing to reprise the role. “Arnold gave us his blessing,” he said, sharing that he and director Edgar Wright contacted Schwarzenegger before the remake began filming. “Patrick Schwarzenegger is a great friend of mine and I asked Patrick if I could talk to Arnold and I hadn’t seen Arnold since we shot Expendables in Bulgaria,” Powell explained. “Arnold gave us his full blessing and we get to give Arnold a very specific fun gift from the movie in a couple of weeks here,” Powell added. “So I’m very excited to see him.” Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, the original “Running Man” film starred Schwarzenegger as a man taking part in a game show where convicted criminals are hunted by professional killers. “The Running Man” was directed by Paul Michael Glaser.

Powell appeared earlier this week at Cinemacon alongside costars Colman Domingo and Josh Brolin to premiere first-look footage from the new “Running Man.” “This game is no game…life and death run wild,” Domingo’s character tells Powell in the trailer. “This is America goddammit and we don’t put up with no bullshit.” Before debuting the trailer, Powell told Cinemacon attendees that making “The Running Man” was “the hardest thing I’ve done in my life.” Production on the film began in London last September, nearly 37 years after Schwarzenegger’s “The Running Man” hit theaters.