'The Running Man is about anger being a superpower'

Glen Powell, Colman Domingo, Lee Pace and Edgar Wright on adapting Stephen King's The Running Man The film is in cinemas this weekend

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When channelled correctly, Glen Powell believes anger can become a superpower.

The Golden Globe Award nominee has put this theory to the test as working-class father Ben Richards, in his new dystopian action thriller The Running Man, adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name.

It was first published in 1982 under the American author’s pseudonym Richard Bachman and later reprinted under King’s own name in 1985.

“I think anger, any emotion by the way, if harnessed correctly, is powerful,” says the 37-year-old. “Emotions are there for a reason. I think it’s when it’s unbridled, when it’s not channelled correctly, that’s where we get into trouble.

“The Running Man is about that anger being a superpower, it’s anger and frustration for other people and representing something and showing up for your whole community, showing up for humanity, rather than just the people closest to you.”

The premise of the story is that Ben feels frustrated by life and money problems and plans to sign up for a game show to try and make some cash in order to pay for medicine for his daughter.