Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About The Running Man’s Creative Turmoil – What Really Went Wrong Behind the Scenes

As one of the biggest action stars of the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger is no stranger to the rigors of high-stakes filmmaking. His 1987 dystopian action film The Running Man, directed by Paul Michael Glaser, marked another significant entry in his career following successes like The Terminator and Predator. Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novel, the movie follows Schwarzenegger’s character, Ben Richards, a former police officer framed for mass murder who is forced to participate in a deadly game show to survive. Despite its commercial success, The Running Man faced numerous challenges during its production, both behind the scenes and on-screen, as revealed by Schwarzenegger in his autobiography Total Recall and various behind-the-scenes accounts.

The Director Change: A Creative Struggle

One of the film’s most significant challenges, according to Schwarzenegger, was the change in directors mid-production. Initially, Andrew Davis was hired to helm the project. However, Davis was fired just eight days into filming, with production already over budget by $8 million. Paul Michael Glaser was brought in as the new director, but Schwarzenegger didn’t view the change as a positive one.

In his autobiography, Total Recall, Schwarzenegger described the decision to replace Davis as “a terrible decision,” explaining that Glaser approached the film with a tone more suited to a television show, rather than the darker, more serious tone initially envisioned by Davis. “He shot the movie like it was a television show, losing all the deeper themes,” Schwarzenegger reflected. The change in creative direction, according to Schwarzenegger, shifted the film from a potential dark allegory to a more humor-driven action movie, ultimately changing the film’s original tone.

The director switch was part of a broader pattern of instability during the production, with several other directors—George Pan Cosmatos, Alex Cox, Carl Schenkel, and Ferdinand Fairfax—being considered before Davis was hired. This uncertainty likely added to Schwarzenegger’s frustration, as he felt the film’s potential for deeper thematic exploration had been compromised.

Budget, Scheduling, and Production Delays

Beyond the director change, The Running Man faced other major production hurdles. The film’s initial budget of $10 million ballooned to $27 million, largely due to delays and creative turmoil. The production was plagued by these financial overages, and at one point, producer Tim Linder had to sell his wheelchair company to cover the additional costs. Schwarzenegger’s star power helped secure foreign pre-sales, which assisted in funding the film, but the growing financial pressure added stress to an already troubled production.

Furthermore, the release date was delayed from summer 1987 to Thanksgiving to avoid competing with Predator, another of Schwarzenegger’s 1987 blockbusters. While this scheduling shift was strategic, it further complicated the production timeline and added to the mounting challenges.

Script Adaptation: From Novel to Action Hero

The process of adapting Stephen King’s novel to the screen also posed creative challenges. The original book featured a protagonist who was a malnourished everyman participating in a 30-day game show in order to feed his family. However, this concept was not easily translatable to Schwarzenegger’s action-hero persona. The script had to be reworked to fit the more bombastic, gladiator-style game show that the movie became.

Screenwriter Steven de Souza was tasked with adapting the novel, and the changes included transforming the relatively low-key game show into a much more elaborate and cinematic experience. This shift from the novel’s subtle critique of society to a more action-oriented film likely presented difficulties for Schwarzenegger, who had to balance his physical role with the film’s new, broader concept.

Test Screenings and Audience Reception

In post-production, The Running Man faced challenges with test screenings. Reports indicate that a twist ending confused a small percentage of the audience, leading to efforts to resequence the film. Although not explicitly mentioned by Schwarzenegger, this shift in the film’s narrative structure could have contributed to the mixed reviews it received upon release. Critics were divided on the movie, with some highlighting its prescient take on reality TV and media manipulation, while others criticized its departure from the darker tone of the novel.

The Cultural Impact and Legacy

Despite its mixed reception, The Running Man remains a cult classic and is often lauded for its sharp commentary on the role of media in society—especially its depiction of reality TV and the exploitation of violence for entertainment. Schwarzenegger’s performance as Ben Richards, a man forced into a deadly game for survival, remains one of the highlights of the film.

Reflecting on the challenges faced during the production of The Running Man, Schwarzenegger’s career trajectory continued to soar in the years following its release. The film’s behind-the-scenes struggles are a testament to the unpredictable nature of filmmaking, especially when creative differences, financial issues, and production delays collide.

Ultimately, The Running Man stands as both a product of its time and a reflection of the unique challenges that come with bringing a story to life on screen. For Schwarzenegger, the experience was one of learning and adaptation, as he navigated the turbulence of a troubled production while still delivering a performance that would go down in history as part of his legendary action film legacy.