THE Running Man, starring Glen Powell and directed by Edgar Wright, based on Stephen King’s novel, is opening on November 12 in Philippine cinemas.
“I’m definitely fired up about it,” said Powell in a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Ahead of the film’s opening day, read on for reasons not to miss The Running Man.
The Running Man is based on a novel by Stephen King
First published under King’s pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982, The Running Man is an action-packed thriller set in a then near-future dystopian America (2025!) where the economy is in ruins, violence has become a way of life, and power is held by the very greedy, wealthy few. Just like in the source material, this year’s film adaptation, which King co-executive produces, The Running Man tells the story of Ben Richards (Powell), a working-class father desperate to save his sick daughter and is then forced to join the top-rated show on television – The Running Man, a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward. However, Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite – and a threat to the entire system.
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/85sWo8ppvHM

Edgar Wright, whose filmography includes the well-loved Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shaun of the Dead, and Baby Driver, directed and co-wrote The Running Man movie
As a fan of Stephen King and of the novel itself, Wright made it a mission for his adaptation to be as faithful to the novel as possible. At the recent New York Comic Con, Wright joked that filming a faithful movie adaptation to The Running Man, where main protagonist Ben Richards plays the world’s deadliest game of hide-and-seek, running from city to city to escape his hunters, was exhausting.
“But I’m proud of it,” he said. “It’s an expansive movie that was ambitious.” Wright also got the highest stamp of approval he could possibly get as a fan himself – from Stephen King. Shared Wright, “In an email [Stephen King] said, ‘It’s more faithful to the book to keep the fans happy, but different enough to keep me on my toes and excited.’”

Glen Powell leads his first action movie
And how! Ben Richards is a very angry man. But in the hands of Powell, Ben is angry but funny and relatable. In terms of action, Ben learned from quite a roster of action heroes. He was part of the ensemble cast of The Expendables 3, starring alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played Ben Richards himself in the 1987 movie adaptation of The Running Man. And when it comes to action scenes with a lot of running, Powell learned from the best: his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Tom Cruise. During a fun red carpet moment with his Running Man co-stars, Wright and Cruise at Cinema Con in April, Powell said, “I will say that all of my running technique did come straight from Tom.”

Josh Brolin and his fellow bad guys are villains having a lot of fun
Brolin has famously played a villain before, but in The Running Man, his ruthless Network producer Dan Killian is so charming it’s not surprising that he was able to convince Ben to sign up – though begrudgingly and rather angrily – for the very dangerous Running Man game. And he’s not the only one. As the host and main visual for the Network’s games, Colman Domingo’s Bobby Thompson is the very definition of showmanship. And then there’s Lee Pace’s McCone, the masked muscle, lead hunter and executioner who seems to always be one step ahead of Ben.

Michael Cera and William H. Macy play brief but very memorable roles
Their screen times are brief but William H. Macy and Michael Cera (who previously worked with Wright in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) play characters that are essential to Ben Richards’s survival and could potentially be fan favorites.

A near-future dystopian world that is both fascinating and familiar
In the film, there are fascinating futuristic aspects in the world inhabited by Richards and Killian but it’s all still rooted in today’s reality, making the movie feel familiar, relatable and relevant. The Running Man movie is not set in any specific time in the future, but Wright describes it as retro-futuristic, “a feeling like it’s both in the future and in the ’80s as well, in the spirit of the book.”
Get ready for the hunt to begin when The Running Man opens, only in cinemas, November 12. #RunningManMovie(Photo and Video Credit: “Paramount Pictures”)

(ROHN ROMULO)

NAG-SHARE ng words of advice si Miss Universe 2011 3rd runner-up Shamcey Supsup kay Ahtisa Manalo na siyang mag-represent ng ating bansa sa upcoming Miss Universe pageant in November sa Thailand.
Si Shamcey ang kasalukuyang Miss Universe Philippines National Director.
“Huwag ka lang masyadong ma-pressure. I know a lot of fans love you, and because we love you, they will really try to push you. But I hope you take it positively.
“Not every girl will have that same kind of support. This is once in a lifetime so I hope you make the right decisions, and you stick with it no matter how many people will say don’t do this. Kung ano ang nasa puso mo, gawin mo,” sey ni Shamcey sa send-off party ni Ahtisa.
Naging first runner-up si Ahtisa sa Miss International 2018. After six years ay sumali ito sa Miss Universe PH in 2024 at naging Miss Cosmo PH siya. Sa pagsali niya ulit this year, natupad ang dream niyang mag-compete sa Miss Universe pageant.
Ayon kay Shamcey, destiny iyon ni Ahtisa: “I do believe that there’s destiny. The destiny awaits you. You just have to be ready to grab it. So you do what you can do, the other half, you leave it to fate. I am really, really happy that you tried again.”
***
INAMIN ni Rachel Alejandro na marami siyang hindi nagawa para sa amang si Hajji Alejandro noong nagkasakit ito.
“‘Yung parang I just wanted him to tell me, ‘Ano ‘yung mga bilin mo?’ Kasi at the end, you want for him to, I wanted him to tell me what he wanted and of course, a lot of it had to do with kung gusto ba niyang to go back to the hospital.
“Sinabi niya na gusto na lang niya nasa bahay na lang siya, ayaw na niyang magpagamot and of course, I wanted, it was the hardest kasi gusto ko siyang lumaban sana,” sey niya.
Pero nagdesisyon na noon ang kanyang ama na manatili na lang sa bahay at sumailalim sa palliative care, isang specialized medical approach kung saan nakatuon ang pansin sa pagpapaganda ng quality of life ng isang taong may malubhang sakit.
Pag-amin ng singer na hindi na niya nasabi sa ama ang gusto niyang mangyari dahil bilang respeto at pagmamahal dito, sumunod na lang niya ang mga gusto nito.
***
NAGKAROON na ng first public appearance as a couple sina Katy Perry at former prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau.
Perry and Trudeau attended a cabaret show at the Crazy Horse Paris last Oct. 25.
Nitong nakaraang summer lang unang nakitq sina Perry and Trudeau na nagde-date sa Montreal, Canada.
Pareho naman silang single. Naghiwalay na si Katy sa ex-fiancé nitong si Orlando Bloom last June. Si Trudeau ay separated na sa wife niyang si Sophie Grégoire noong 2023 pa.
Perry is currently touring the globe as part of her Lifetimes Tour, in support of her latest album, 143.

(RUEL J. MENDOZA)

PAGKATAPOS na basagin ni Raymart Santiago ang kanyang katahimikan sa lahat ng mga pangit na isiniwalat ng ina ni Claudine Barretto na si Inday Barretto laban sa kanya, ang anak ni Inday na si Marjorie Barretto naman ang naglabas ng kanyang saloobin sa pamamagitan pa rin ng Instagram account.
Bilang isang anak, ramdam namin ang sakit na pinagdadaanan ni Marjorie. Kung susumahin ang mahabang IG post ni Marjorie, madaling sabihin na tila kasinungalingan ang mga sinabi ng kanilang ina sa naging exclusive interview kay Ogie Diaz.
Bongga yung statement ni Marjorie na “I was shocked to learn that she and I were supposedly not on good terms, when we were just together every day, from that one day in the hospital to my brother’s three-night wake and his inurnment.
“Was I not taking my mom home from the wake? Was I only dreaming that we were talking, hugging, and comforting each other?”
Sabi pa rin niya na obviously, ang tinutukoy na ‘youngest child’ ay si Claudine, “Was this really necessary to drag our grieving, non-showbiz family members into a new scandal while everyone is still mourning my brother’s sudden death?
“Or am I once again damage control? The Mission: Destroy Marjorie—to make the youngest child look good and clean.”
Katulad ng ani Raymart, binigyang-diin din ni Marjorie sa kanyang statement na kasinungalingan ang mga naging pahayag ng ina laban sa kanya.
Aniya, “This Part 2 interview was just as false, unfair, and destructive as my moms Part 1 interview about Raymart. God is all-knowing. God is watching.
“My mom said I was strong-willed – in a bad way. Mom, I should not be punished and insulted for being strong-willed.”
Sa kabila ng lahat, sinabi pa rin ni Marjorie na, “Mom, I want you to know that I love you. And I have learned to accept whatever kind of love you can give me.”
Kaya lang din daw siya nagsalita o nag-post na ay dahil kailangan niyang klaruhin ang lahat dahil siya ang misunderstood.
“And when someone close to you distorts the truth in a very public way, it creates an ache that my silence cannot hold anymore.”
In fairness, binasa namin ang mga nag-reply sa post na ito ni Marjorie. Walang-duda na nasa kanya ang suporta at simpatiya ng mga kaibigan niyang celebrities tulad nina Karla Estrada, Ruffa Gutierrez, Mariel Padilla, Isabel Oli, Jenny Miller at iba pa.
Lalo na ang mga anak niyang sina Julia, Dani at Leon Barretto.
***
ILANG araw pa lang halos ang mga bagong housemates sa loob ng Bahay ni Kuya para sa ‘PBB Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0’, pero ilan na sa kanila ang naglabas ng mga bubog na dala-dala nila.
Tinawag nila itong multo ng buhay nila dahil na rin sa nalalapit na Halloween. Isa sa mga housemate na nagpaluha rin sa mga kapwa niya housemates ay si Rave Victoria.
Si Rave ang tinatawag na “Optimistic Apo ng Tarlac” at napag-alaman din namin na isa rin pala sa mga talent ng Triple A Management. At base sa ibinahagi ni Rave, bagay nga sa kanya ang title na binigay sa kanyang “optimistic.”
Aniya, “’Yung kapatid niya, saka Lolo ko, pumunta sila ng Korea dahil ikakasal na ang Mama ko at hindi nila ‘ko sinama.
“Alam n’yo yung feeling na gusto kong makapunta ro’n, maging happy para sa kanya. Wow Ma, na-achieve mo na ang buhay na gusto mo.
“Pero, may question sa akin na bakit hindi mo ako sinama? Wala naman akong gagawing masama.”
Kaya raw pinangako n’ya sa sarili na kapag siya ay nagkaroon na ng pamilya, hinding-hindi niya ito gagawin. Na habang bata pa ang mga anak niya, papanoorin niyang lumaki at ipapadama niya ang pagmamahal niya.
Kahit sa Twitter ay maraming nag-post at naantig sa kuwentong ito ni Rave. At bukod dito, isa rin siya sa itinuturing na “green flag” among the housemates.
Pero siyempre, mahaba pa ang journey nila at nagkakaalaman talaga ng mga totoong karakter habang tumatagal.

(ROSE GARCIA)