The Running Man has an unexpected connection to Pennywise
In an intriguing blend of horror and dystopia, Edgar Wright’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel *The Running Man* is set to hit theaters on November 14, 2025. This film, starring Glen Powell as the desperate protagonist Ben Richards, promises a thrilling ride through a grim future where Richards is relentlessly pursued across the Eastern United States for a twisted televised game show. However, what adds a layer of depth to this adaptation is its subtle connection to King’s broader universe, particularly through the iconic town of Derry, Maine, known as the haunting ground of Pennywise the Clown from *IT*.
As Richards finds himself in Derry, he encounters Elton Parrakis, played by Michael Cera, a rebellious character armed with a homemade zine called *The Truth*, which aims to expose the oppressive Network controlling the game. This interaction not only grounds the narrative in King’s lore but also evokes the chilling atmosphere associated with Derry. The film cleverly incorporates a scene where Elton’s mother expresses concern about Richards being on the run nearby, asking, “What if he’s in Derry?” This line serves as a nod to fans familiar with King’s works, intertwining the fates of characters in a world where horror and survival collide. Derry, a fictionalized version of Bangor, Maine—where King wrote *IT*—is steeped in the author’s signature blend of small-town charm and lurking terror, making it a fitting backdrop for the film’s high-stakes narrative.
Moreover, the film’s aesthetic choices, such as placing Elton and his mother in a Victorian Gothic mansion reminiscent of King’s own home, further enhance the connection to the author’s universe. While the film adaptation diverges from the novel’s original events, the inclusion of Derry and its architectural elements pays homage to King’s storytelling style, where the setting often becomes a character in its own right. As anticipation builds for *The Running Man*, fans of both Wright’s cinematic vision and King’s literary genius can look forward to a film that not only entertains but also deepens the lore of a beloved horror universe.
If you’re watching
The Running Man
,
don’t expect to outpace the
Stephen King
universe of it all.
There’s a small connection between Edgar Wright’s 2025 adaptation of the horror master’s 1982 novel, and
King’s extended realm of stories
— and it has to do with
IT
‘s dreaded sewer-dwelling
Pennywise the Clown
.
In
The Running Man
, desperate man Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is chased all over the Eastern states of America by hunters for televised entertainment. From New York to Boston to Maine, Richards is pursued, and it’s in this latter location he ends up in a familiar fictional town:
Derry
.
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Stephen King shares his 11-word review of ‘The Running Man’
After encountering locals watching
The Running Man
on an outdoor screen together, Richards meets Elton Parrakis (Michael Cera), a covert rebel and anarchist ready to take down the all-powerful Network with
The Truth
, his homemade zine filled with exposés. We hear Elton’s mother, unaware of her son’s guest, worrying about Richards being somewhere on the run nearby, as she asks, “What if he’s in Derry?”
“What if he’s in Derry?”
Credit: Paramount Pictures
Derry is, of course, Stephen King’s go-to fictional Maine town, based on the town of Bangor. Notably, Derry is also Pennywise’s base of terror in
IT
.
As Mashable’s Sam Haysom explains,
“[Bangor] is the town where the horror master was living when he wrote his novel — a note at the end of
IT
says King started writing the book in Bangor in 1981 and finished a little over four years later. The author has also confirmed in interviews that Derry is essentially a fictionalised version of the Maine town.”
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In King’s
The Running Man
novel, Richard indeed makes it to Derry, though the events are
slightly
different. Another fun element in the film is that Elton and his mom live in a Victorian Gothic mansion with vertical architecture and a turret,
like many Stephen King characters do (and King himself does)
. That includes Pennywise and the dreaded Neibolt House, too. We’re not saying Pennywise lives
in
Elton’s house in
The Running Man
, it’s just a bit of a creepy coincidence.
The Running Man
opens in theaters Nov. 14.
