Tom Cruise has been “acting in films since 1981.” So when Glen Powell was approached to star in the Running Man reboot, he naturally turned to his Top Gun: Maverick co-star for advice.
“I mean, when you have Tom Cruise on your phone, the best thing to do is tap into that wisdom,” Powell says, chuckling over Zoom. “He has years of wisdom because he is the greatest action star of all time. The best thing about Tom is that he is very generous with that wisdom. This guy always picks up the phone.”
In the film, directed by Edgar Wright, who adapts Stephen King's 1982 novel and reboots the 1987 big-screen version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Powell, 37, is thrust into a dystopian future as a desperate father who joins a reality show in which contestants try to escape a murderous gang of hunters in hopes of winning a billion dollars.
“One of the things about The Running Man is the story that I really love: ordinary people versus extraordinary circumstances,” Powell says. “Movies like Gladiator, movies like Braveheart and Minority Report. Movies where there's a person who challenges the system. I always like movies like that. So for me, it has the DNA of a lot of the movies that got me into this business in the first place.”
On a recent weekday, Powell talked more about “The Running Man,” peppering his answers with excitement as he reflected on his unlikely rise to the top as Hollywood's next leading man.
Question: Glen, I'm going to answer the hardest question first. How did your rescue dog Brisket enjoy filming this movie with you overseas?
A
I have to say that the team took very good care of Brisket. So much so that our costume designer designed a Running Man costume specifically for Brisket. I don't know how long he'll be on the show. He's too cute to be on the deadliest game show of all time, but he looks cute in a suit.
Question: 1987's The Running Man may have been one of the first Stephen King adaptations I saw as a child. What made you want to take part in this version?
A
First of all, Edgar Wright is one of the greatest directors. He's someone I've really wanted to work with my entire career. I think his voice in one of Stephen King's great stories was a great opportunity for me. But The Running Man is such a cool idea… If it were legal, you'd probably see that there would be a producer who would be willing to put a man out into the world and have people hunt him down. Unfortunately, in the era that we live in, if there are followers, if there is an audience, somebody is bound to be successful, right? I think the craziest thing about this story is that Stephen King wrote this story in 1982. The action takes place in 2025. When you look at the world of 2025, it's so crazy and creepy how similar these worlds are. For me, it wasn't just an opportunity to work with Edgar Wright on a big, fun, explosive action movie. But it also really says a lot about our existence and the search for humanity in an inhumane world.
Question: Have you sought out Arnold Schwarzenegger for his advice or blessing? I didn't know you two worked together on The Expendables 3.
A
Yes, Arnold and I did The Expendables 3 together. I was able to show the movie to Arnold last night and it was so great… Arnold loved the movie. He couldn't stop talking about how great the movie was… He said that if there was one movie of his that he would like to do again, it would be The Running Man. When he came out of the theater and started talking about our film, he said: “You did it.” This is wonderful. Afterwards, Edgar and I hugged each other tightly because getting a blessing from the big man was as cool as it gets.
Question: There is one scene that you will have to act out in a bath towel. How did you manage to keep it all together?
A
(Laughs) I like the way you phrased it. I had a wonderful dresser who made sure the buttons didn't click and the Velcro didn't stick. We shot this scene in negative 10 in Bulgaria. If the Velcro didn't stick, it would have been a bad day for everyone.
Question: You really have mixed things up in your career. Hit Man was at the Toronto Film Festival and the audience loved it. You've also starred in Top Gun, Twisters, and Anyone But You. But you were an actor for a while before you started your career. What was your experience like in Hollywood and how did you rise to the top?
A
I have many wonderful friends and a wonderful family with whom I am very close. No matter how noisy or chaotic it gets, you're with your own people, so it never feels like you're in a state that's too foreign. But it was amazing. It was a dream. The other day my mom broke it for me. She sent me some of my props that I built as a child. I saved old computer parts and made them look like something out of a James Bond movie. These bombs that destroy the world. I bought books on special effects… I filmed fight scenes with friends. So, what I'm going to do in Running Man is a dream come true.
