- Primary Subject: Glen Powell reflecting on the box office failure of The Running Man.
- Key Update: Glen Powell revealed the reason why the 2025 film had a disappointing box office performance.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: October 7, 2026
- Quick Answer: Glen Powell revealed The Running Man flopped because the studio fired its entire marketing team a month before release amid a corporate merger.
Glen Powell recently opened up about the reason regarding why The Running Man became a box office flop.
The new film adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel was released last year to disappointing box office numbers, despite the familiarity of the source material and Powell's supposed stardom. There have been discussions among fans regarding why the film had an underwhelming performance and what the actor felt about it.
What Is Glen Powell's Reaction to The Running Man's Box Office Disappointment?
In a cover story interview with Esquire, Glen Powell reflected on the box office disappointment of The Running Man during its theatrical release last year.
The film ended up grossing $69 million out of a reported production budget of $110 million, making it one of the biggest box office failures of 2025 and the kind of reception that is not ideal for an actor on the rise to become a major movie star.
Powell cited the firing of the entire marketing department before the release as the main reason why it became a box office flop.
"They let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger," he explained.
Powell also opened up about the box office disappointment of his A24 film How to Make a Killing when it was released earlier this year.
He said, "There were a lot of issues with that. There just was not enough time to do it properly. I look back on that one as an example of going, You know what, there’s no rush."
Despite the disappointing box office performances of his last two starring films, he has two upcoming projects that may retain his movie star status: the comedy movie The Comeback King and the J.J. Abrams original The Great Beyond.
What Is The Running Man About?
The Running Man follows Ben Richards, desperate to save his sick daughter, who decides to join a game show where contestants, allowed to go anywhere in the world, are pursued by "Hunters" hired to kill them.
Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite — and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
Aside from Powell, the star-studded cast includes William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin.
The film is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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