Netflix Is Losing Stephen King’s Best Sci-Fi At The Worst Possible Time

Netflix has several Stephen King properties on the streaming service, but they are losing one of his sci-fi movies at the worst possible time. This has been an incredible year for King fans, and it is only getting better. The King of Horror saw three of his stories brought to the screen in movies, with The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, and The Long Walk. He also had a TV series based on his novel The Institute on MGM+. King also published a new Holly Gibney mystery novel this year called Never Flinch. However, Netflix is falling short thanks to one big decision next month.

Over the next month, Stephen King fans will get another TV series, It: Welcome to Derry, and then one more movie, a remake of The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright. However, in what has to be the worst timing, Just Watch reports that Netflix is losing the original version of The Running Man on November 1, just 11 days before the Wright remake hits theaters.

Netflix Losing The Running Man – Where Can Fans See It Now?

The Running Man is one of Stephen King’s novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The novel, released in 1982, was way ahead of its time, showing how reality TV could not only be extremely popular but also dominate people’s attentions. However, the twist is that this reality TV show involved viewers watching a man running for his life, with everyone wanting to kill him. This novel, and the first movie based on it, predated shows like Survivor by over a decade.

The 1987 movie, which is still on Netflix for another week, stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a prisoner competing in a reality TV series that will earn his freedom if he survives. The Running Man was a small success, and while not one of Stephen King’s best movies, it has become a cult favorite. The new movie changes things, with Glen Powell in the lead as a man who signs up for the competition to earn money to help his family. Both movies, however, share the idea of a fascist dystopian society that puts entertainment over people’s lives.

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It seems like the worst possible time for Netflix to lose The Running Man on its streaming service. Most fans expect the Edgar Wright remake to be miles better than the original movie. However, it seems reasonable to think many will want to see the first movie to either compare the two or relive what older fans might have liked about the Arnold Schwarzenegger version, to begin with. Now, it is leaving Netflix just 11 days before the new movie hits theaters. That is bad news for Netflix, but there is still good news for fans because there are still ways to see the film on streaming.

Fans can still watch The Running Man with a Paramount+ subscription, which is as low as $7.99 a month. It is also available to stream on BBC America for subscribers. Fans with AMC+ are also running out of time, as the film will also leave that streaming service on November 1, the same day that it leaves Netflix. The Stephen King sci-fi movie is also available to rent on Apple TV, Plex, Fandango At Home, and Amazon.

As for the new movie, The Running Man hits theaters on November 11. Directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, as he takes on the dangerous task of surviving the Running Man competition, to try to afford the medicine he needs to help his family. Josh Brolin stars as the producer of the rigged contest, while Colman Domingo takes Richard Dawson’s place as the game show host. Other stars include Lee Pace, Michael Cera, and William H. Macy.

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