Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Running Man.According to Edgar Wright, the director of The Running Man remake, stars Glen Powell and Colman Domingo went rogue for one stand-out scene.
Wright exclusively told PEOPLE that filming the scene of Ben Richards (Powell) getting introduced while handcuffed to a riled-up audience on stage by The Running Man game show’s host Bobby T. (Domingo) left a major impression on him. He explained how the actors’ dedication to their roles made the scene seem “out of control”, but in a good way.
They’re all like hurling abuse at Glen, who is handcuffed. It felt sort of kind of out of control in the best way.
The director commended Domingo’s strong performance. Wright explained how he had everyone wrapped around his finger with the way he delivered his lines. And, it really impressed him that he managed to stay charming while doing something that is incredibly reprehensible. He added that it really showcased his talent as an actor.
He was amazing, like, he was his own warm-up man. All of his scenes he’s in front of extras, and he just had them whipped up. He had them in the palm of his hand by the end of day one.
Wright also praised Powell. He said that the two had known each other for a while, and when his name popped up during The Running Man’s audition process, he immediately knew he was the right person for the job. He explained how the actor’s ability to be relatable to the audience and overall likable nature really sold the role and made him someone everyone would actually want to root for.
I knew Glen a little bit before we started filming, and so when his name came up in contention for it, I was so excited because I knew he was the guy. It’s just perfect because I think what’s great about Glen is he has this everyman quality. He’s relatable, and I think that makes the action more exciting.
The director revealed that some of his favorite scenes to film for The Running Man were the ones that involved the game show. He explained that the audience going “out of control”, in addition to Powell and Domingo’s fantastically over-the-top performances, just made those parts of the movie so much fun to shoot.
The game show scenes were some of the most fun to film because they felt like they were kind of out of control in the way that Colman had the crowd going.
The Running Man is a science fiction action film based on a book of the same name by Stephen King. The story revolves around Richards, a struggling father who is trying to make ends meet for his family, which pushes him to join the deadly show as a contestant. Another adaptation of the novel was made in 1987, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Running Man is playing in theaters now.
