Dystopia just got a glow-up — and a jawline. Paramount’s upcoming The Running Man has officially graduated from the ’80s Schwarzenegger school of muscle to the 2025 academy of pure charisma, featuring an all-star cast that includes Foundation’s Lee Pace, Wicked: For Good’s Colman Domingo, and everyone’s current golden boy, Glen Powell.
Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel (written under his Richard Bachman alias), The Running Man reimagines the story of a brutal game show where “runners” must survive being hunted down by killers for 30 days — with a cool $1 billion prize dangling at the finish line. It’s violent, glossy, and darkly satirical. In other words, the perfect mirror for our scroll-addicted times.
And let’s be honest — we’re not just here for the carnage. We’re here for the coats, the confidence, and the queer energy radiating off Pace and Domingo like freshly lit fireworks.
Pace and Domingo are Running the Red Carpet
At the premiere, both men served what can only be described as “if high fashion and danger had a baby.” Pace glided down the carpet in a sweeping gray trench coat and tailored suit that accentuated every impossible inch of his six-foot-five frame. Domingo, never one to be outdone, arrived in a bold, sequined, sculptural ensemble that screamed “I’m the main event, darling” — because he absolutely is. Together, they didn’t just pose; they performed.
In the film, Pace plays Evan McCone, a masked hunter with an appetite for televised chaos. Yes, unfortunately for fans of that perfect Pace face, it’s hidden beneath a mask for most of the movie — but the man still manages to smolder through it. Speaking to Screenrant, Pace explained the creative decision:
“That’s the fun thing about a mask. People can project onto you what they want you to be. McCone wants to go out on Sunday and walk his dog and hang out at the mall with his friends and not be bothered. So, he has to wear the mask on The Running Man.”
RELATED: ‘Foundation’ Actor Lee Pace is Back with a Hotter, Edgier Look
Translation: he’s hot, homicidal, and just wants to live his suburban fantasy when he’s not on murder duty. Relatable.
Photo Credit: @leeepfrog and @kingofbingo via Instagram
Meanwhile, Colman Domingo is busy being the fabulous chaos conductor as Bobby T, the host of the deadly game show within the film. Think Jerry Springer meets Studio 54. Domingo told Digital Spy his character took cues from Springer’s gleeful showmanship:
“I just liked the way he incited his audience… the show must happen, and then he slept well at night. I feel like that was very much Bobby T.”
It’s a deliciously twisted performance — and a perfect prelude to Domingo’s next big role as the Cowardly Lion in Wicked: For Good. This man doesn’t take a break; he takes a bow.
RELATED: Out Actor Colman Domingo Roars Into ‘Wicked: For Good’!
Both actors praise the adaptation for returning to King’s darker, more reflective source material. As Domingo put it:
“There’s so much about the book that examines who we are in our culture right now. It’s a self-examination — and a wild, fun ride at the same time.”
So yes, The Running Man is about survival, violence, and capitalism run amok. But for us? It’s about two out gay powerhouses redefining what it means to run the game.
The Running Man premieres in the U.K. on November 12, 2025, and in the U.S. on November 14, 2025, via Paramount Pictures.
Are we ready for all of this yumminess? Gay men in an action packed big theater offering? And they’re not throw away characters? We cannot wait!
REFERENCE: Screenrant, Digital Spy
Lee Pace’s character had another reason for wearing the mask (which would be a minor spoiler, so I won’t get into it). But both he and Domingo are more wasted than not in this. I’m glad both are getting the work but Pace’s character especially could have gotten more of a chance to be developed a tiny bit more – you got even more of sense of Josh Brolin’s character and he had less screen time, and then that twist/reveal at the end would have hit harder and what happened might have meant more. But ultimately it just adds to the needless violence and death, and even make sit seems like Pace’s character is more of some kind of psychotic personality when that isn’t the case. Especially since this was written for the new movie, there was certainly better that could have been manged, than the lazy plotting we got that. Colman was essentially re-imagining Dawson’s character without the gross oiliness and was very effective but by the middle was clearly poorly used and certainly by the ending ‘twist’ wasted in a nothing burger moment that more wasted the audience’s time than anything else.
It’s funny to hear people term this ‘satire’ because the only thing it does a good job of satirizing is reality television, and in particular, a Karadash (sp?) type show.