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‘I’m such a fan of Stephen King. He’s had such an indelible mark on me as a lover of film’
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Published Nov 08, 2025 • Last updated 9 hours ago • 4 minute read
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Josh Brolin seen during an appearance at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival on Sept.6, 2025. Photo by ARASH OSKOOIE /AFP via GettyArticle content
Josh Brolin hasn’t met Stephen King yet – but he’s hoping to.
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After a career that stretches back 40 years to when he made his film debut in The Goonies, the Oscar nominee is finally getting a chance to star in his first screen adaptation of one of the horror master’s literary works with a role in The Running Man.
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“You know, I’m such a fan of Stephen King. He’s had such an indelible mark on me as a lover of film. I loved The Shining, and I know Stephen doesn’t like the first Shining and (director Stanley) Kubrick, but I loved The Shining and Christine. There are so many experiences I had as a youngster, not only reading his books, but watching his movies … he’s the guy on the throne,” Brolin says.
Based on the the 1982 novel by King and directed by Edgar Wright, The Running Man thrusts Glen Powell into a dystopian future as a desperate father who joins a reality show in which contestants try to outrun a murderous gang of hunters in hopes of winning millions of dollars.
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Brolin plays the smarmy TV executive pushing for brutal kills in a bid to rack up even higher ratings for the show.
“He’s an amalgamation of people I’ve met, not just TV executives; rich billionaires, too,” Brolin, 57, says of his slick villain.
Josh Brolin stars in Paramount Pictures’ The Running Man. Photo by Ross Ferguson /Paramount Pictures
It’s the latest volley in Brolin’s bid to continually surprise audiences with his projects. This year, he’s already been onscreen as a desperate father in Zach Cregger’s dark thriller Weapons. Later this month, he plays a charismatic priest in the latest Knives Out mystery.
“But this is a very different type of villain,” Brolin says of his role in The Running Man. “I would hate the idea of it feeling like I’m doing the same thing over and over. Once I start doing that, please send me an email and I’ll get out of this business.”
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Dialing in on a recent Tuesday evening from Los Angeles, Brolin spoke more about The Running Man and told us why 2007 was such a great year for him and revealed what’s happening with The Goonies 2.
This has been a great year for you. You worked with Zach Cregger on Weapons, Rian Johnson on Knives Out 3 and now Edgar Wright. What makes Edgar so unique as a filmmaker?
Edgar’s so good about exploiting the absurdities of people and the human condition … But I think the thing Edgar is really good at is not only making great entertainment, but films that are emotional and visceral as well, and I think he does that brilliantly … He just gets better and better and better.
Josh Brolin and director Edgar Wright on the set of Paramount Pictures’ The Running Man. Photo by Ross Ferguson /Ross Ferguson
The Running Man is a big role for Glen Powell. What impressed you about working with him?
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He’s so cool in this movie and it’s just the choices that he’s making. He’s making the right choices. He’s doing this movie, but he’s also got the series (Chad Powers) that he’s doing, and you get to experience his acting chops. It’s nice to keep people guessing. I work with a lot of young actors right now – Jacob Elordi and Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh and Zendaya – and they are all showing up. It’s a great new generation of actors and Glen is one of the top dudes.
Glen Powell and Josh Brolin star in Paramount Pictures’ The Running Man. Photo by Ross Ferguson /Paramount Pictures
The movie is pure escapism. But it was a little eerie how some of the things have come to pass – our obsession with reality TV and the disparity between the haves and have-nots. Did you find that a little weird?
The weirdest part is it takes place in 2025 and it was written in 1982 … I think it’s easy to root for the underdog, which is I think the default and I thank God that’s the default. But then all the other stuff, you can’t help but look at and wonder where we do this stuff in our own lives. What series are we watching right now where we can’t wait to watch somebody fail or fall or make a mistake?
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I was thinking back to 2007 when I watched you at the Toronto Film Festival in No Country For Old Men. You also had American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah and Grindhouse all releasing around the same time. What was that year like for you as an actor?
I had been around for a couple of decades. Thank God for the Coens and Robert Rodriguez. I was making Grindhouse and the Coens came along. They don’t think in terms of ‘What’s his value?’ They just think in terms of, ‘Is he right for the part?’ Apparently, I was right for the part. Heath Ledger was supposed to do (No Country for Old Men) at one point and then he dropped out. So it all worked out. Because of that, I think other directors were like, ‘Why him?’ (laughs) Then it became a domino effect. But I feel very lucky and I’m very grateful to have worked with the directors I have.
Josh Brolin made his big cinematic comeback in 2007’s No Country for Old Men. Photo by Miramax
You made your debut in 1985’s The Goonies. There’s been talk of a sequel for years. Is Goonies 2 really going to happen?
I don’t know, man. I’ve been asked that question for the past 37 years … Who knows? These things, they write them and … it happens when it wants to happen. If it wants to happen.
The Running Man opens in theatres Nov. 14.
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