Stephen King box office success continues in 2025 with a surprising turn, as The Running Man has edged past the domestic performance of The Shawshank Redemption, despite a challenging debut for director Edgar Wright. With a $28.7 million domestic total, The Running Man has outpaced Shawshank’s original $28.3 million, highlighting both the unpredictability of adaptations and King’s enduring presence on screen.
The Running Man Outperforms Shawshank’s Initial Box Office
Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, despite being his most mainstream and costly production with a reported $110 million budget, did not meet expectations during its first weekend. As box office figures roll in, it seems the film is unlikely to recoup its hefty investment. Nonetheless, The Running Man’s current domestic earnings narrowly surpassed those of Frank Darabont’s Shawshank Redemption, which, at the time of its 1994 release, struggled at the box office.
Shawshank Redemption eventually became a critical and home entertainment sensation, collecting seven Oscar nominations and dominating years of rentals and sales, achieving status as the top-rated film on IMDb’s all-time list. Later re-releases worldwide have collectively driven Shawshank’s lifetime gross above $70 million.
2025: Another Busy Year for Stephen King Adaptations
While The Running Man sits at $50 million globally, it has yet to match the financial results of this year’s other Stephen King films like The Long Walk and The Monkey. Edgar Wright, following his previous box office disappointment with Last Night in Soho—which earned just over $20 million against a $43 million budget—had higher hopes. His most notable success remains Baby Driver, which exceeded $230 million in global receipts after Wright’s departure from Marvel’s Ant-Man project.
Stephen King’s prolific year continues beyond theatrical releases, as audiences can now watch It: Welcome to Derry on HBO Max. Serving as a prequel to both It and It: Chapter Two, the series further solidifies King’s hold on contemporary pop culture.
Behind The Running Man and Its Cast
The Running Man tells the story of Ben Richards, portrayed by Glen Powell, who is thrust into a deadly game show where killers pursue contestants across the world. Josh Brolin takes on the role of Dan Killian. The film is the second cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel, published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman.
The Significance of Stephen King’s Box Office Numbers
Although The Running Man may not ultimately reach the global totals set by Shawshank Redemption’s re-releases, its initial numbers demonstrate the staying power of Stephen King’s stories at the box office. As King’s adaptations continue to draw audiences to both theaters and streaming services, the ongoing fascination with his work appears undiminished, setting the stage for further projects and continued box office interest.
