Glen Powell launches Smash Kitchen, his new sauce line
Glen Powell touted his new sauce line, Smash Kitchen, at a launch event in New York.
LAS VEGAS − During a presentation for “The Running Man” at CinemaCon on Thursday, Josh Brolin made sure to shout out the “truly brilliant and talented” star of the new movie: Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Cut to an image of Brisket playfully running on the screen behind them. “The Running Boy,” Powell quipped with a grin.
It’s definitely not your dad’s “Running Man.” Director Edgar Wright’s adaptation of the 1982 Stephen King novel (written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman) is a more stylish, grounded and even humorous take than the over-the-top 1987 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the hero and Richard Dawson as a villainous TV show host. (Interestingly, King’s original source material was set in the year 2025.)
“The real story of the book has never been told as written,” Wright said of his sci-fi action thriller (in theaters Nov. 7). “It’s one of those movies that give audiences someone to cheer for.”
Wright and cast members introduced the first trailer for “The Running Man,” set in a dystopian future where volunteers can compete for viral fame and immense fortune on the world’s biggest reality game show. They just have to survive it as various killers, called Hunters, go after them.
Ben Richards (Powell) needs money to help his family, and even though he promises his wife (Jayme Lawson) he won’t do it, he of course does. But unlike the previous ‘80s “Running Man,” Hunters seek out Ben and other contestants in the real world rather than a battle zone filled with outrageously dressed antagonists. Regular folks watch the show as Ben crashes through their windows and always has a camera in his face, which leads to some middle fingers in the middle of all the carnage.
The first footage also showcased Powell’s action-hero acumen, falling from buildings and being thrashed around regularly. “He literally and figuratively threw himself into it,” Wright said.
“This is probably what I get for asking Tom Cruise for a stunt double,” quipped Powell, whose role in “Top Gun: Maverick” helped springboard his busy career. But with “Running Man,” “I’ve never worked harder on a movie in my life.”
Colman Domingo plays the Dawson role from the original, a charismatic and loud bow-tied TV host who was one of the highlights of the “Running Man” trailer, while Josh Brolin is the TV executive who signs Ben for the game show. Powell called Brolin “the greatest bad guy in the universe,” and even Brolin allowed that his role was “maniacal.”
Added Powell: “This movie doesn’t just have touches or flavors of things people. love. This is a meal. This is a cinematic treat.”
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