The Big Picture

The Juiceless Fall Movie Season, ‘The Running Man,’ and ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’

November 14, 2025

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  • The current fall movie season is widely perceived as a commercial and critical disappointment, signaling potential long-term industry shifts regarding distribution and audience engagement. 
  • Movie stars, even established ones, no longer reliably open films in theaters, suggesting a fundamental change in how audiences decide what to see. 
  • Edgar Wright's *The Running Man* is viewed as tonally inconsistent, attempting to balance serious dystopian satire with broad action-comedy elements, though its action staging is highly praised. 
  • The discussion on the state of cinema suggests that the shift of major stars to smaller, perhaps independent, films mirrors a past trend in television that may ultimately hurt the sustainability of mid-budget theatrical releases. 
  • The sequel *Now You See Me: Now You Don't* is considered an enjoyable, if not critically essential, magic heist film, largely elevated by Rosamund Pike's performance as the villain. 
  • Director Edgar Wright intentionally maintained a single-perspective focus on the protagonist, Ben Richards, throughout *The Running Man* to maximize intensity and keep the audience aligned with his limited knowledge of the dystopian world. 
  • Director Edgar Wright and the team specifically sought Glen Powell for the lead role in *The Running Man* because he was one of the few leading men under 40 who hadn't already played a superhero or trained killer, fitting the character's 'guy off the street' requirement. 
  • Wright found that the pressure of filmmaking, especially adapting a beloved book like *The Running Man* and securing Stephen King's approval, often prevents directors from enjoying the process on set. 
  • Filmmaker Edgar Wright adheres strictly to a personal rule of never publicly badmouthing other creators, a lesson learned early in his career after making lighthearted jabs at Richard Curtis. 

Segments

Fall Movie Season Disappointment
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(00:01:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The recent fall movie slate is characterized by widespread commercial and critical underperformance, suggesting a systemic issue beyond just the quality of individual films.
  • Summary: The hosts and Van Lathan are reflecting on an awkward movie fall where box office results and critical reception have been muted. They note that despite the pandemic era being supposedly over and strikes concluded, the expected slate of big movies like The Running Man and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is not resonating. This leads to theorizing about underlying strategic mistakes and the general state of the industry.
Star Power Diminishment Analysis
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(00:05:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Movie stars no longer possess the inherent power to open films in theaters, a dynamic that has fundamentally changed in the current market.
  • Summary: The conversation posits that getting audiences into theaters solely because a specific star like Sidney Sweeney or Jennifer Lawrence is attached is no longer effective. This contrasts with historical periods where stars like Tom Hanks could guarantee an opening based on their presence alone. The success of franchise IP (like the Predator or Conjuring sequels) over original adult-led films reinforces the decline of individual star draw.
Indie Distributor Transition Struggles
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(00:09:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Independent distributors like A24 and Neon are struggling as they attempt to scale up budgets from typical $20 million films to larger productions, while new companies are adopting risky wide-release strategies for smaller star vehicles.
  • Summary: The shift of companies like A24 toward bigger-budget movies is proving difficult, as seen with The Smashing Machine. Furthermore, new distributors are launching films with big stars (like Christie) on wide releases (2,500 screens) instantly, bypassing the traditional platform release strategy that used to allow word-of-mouth to build success for character-driven dramas.
Upcoming Blockbuster Outlook
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(00:17:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The success of upcoming major IP releases like Wicked and Avatar will be crucial, but the box office fate of non-IP, star-driven vehicles like Marty Supreme will serve as a critical test for the current state of stardom.
  • Summary: Despite the recent slump, major IP films like Wicked and Avatar are expected to perform well, potentially saving the year-end box office. However, the performance of Marty Supreme, starring an actor uniquely interesting to audiences but lacking major non-IP hits, will be the ultimate barometer for whether individual star power can still drive theatrical success.
Reviewing The Running Man
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(00:28:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Edgar Wright’s The Running Man is criticized for being tonally inconsistent, failing to commit fully to either dark dystopian satire or a winking action spectacle, though its action sequences are praised for creativity.
  • Summary: The film, based on a Stephen King novel, attempts to balance commentary on income inequality with blockbuster action, resulting in a messy tone that satisfies neither extreme. The ending deviates significantly from the book’s nihilistic conclusion, opting for a less definitive resolution. Glen Powell is noted as being somewhat miscast in the deeply angry role of Ben Richards, contrasting with his usual charming persona.
Praise for Supporting Cast
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(00:49:58)
  • Key Takeaway: Coleman Domingo delivered a performance that successfully embodied the spirit of Richard Dawson’s role in the original adaptation, earning high praise.
  • Summary: Coleman Domingo is highlighted as having perfectly understood his assignment in The Running Man. His performance as the game show host was excellent, especially considering he had to live up to the memory of Richard Dawson, who was famously associated with Family Feud.
Now You See Me 3 Reception
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(00:54:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The sequel Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is viewed as better than its predecessor, largely due to Rosamund Pike’s entertaining villain role.
  • Summary: The hosts and guest Van Lathan share their mixed but generally positive feelings about Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, with Lathan expressing strong affection for the franchise’s theme of magic. Rosamund Pike’s performance as a South African diamond heiress villain is highlighted as a major, entertaining success. The film is considered better than the second installment, though still not reaching the novelty of the first.
State of Movie Middle Class
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(00:55:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The migration of established movie stars to smaller projects signals a worrying trend that could further destabilize the middle tier of studio filmmaking.
  • Summary: Van Lathan worries that when major stars like Jennifer Lawrence and The Rock make smaller movies, it mirrors the shift of stars to television that initially hurt TV quality. This trend threatens the existence of the established movie middle class, which is crucial for keeping cinema healthy beyond massive event films and small arthouse features. The absence of these mid-budget, star-driven films means fewer interesting, non-world-changing movies for adults to see in theaters.
Edgar Wright Interview Begins
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(01:18:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Edgar Wright does not curate his filmography strategically but makes the next available project, noting that studio filmmaking centers are shifting away from Los Angeles.
  • Summary: Wright confirmed he does not intentionally alternate between English and Hollywood films, stating directors usually make the film they can get financed next. He observed that Hollywood production is moving globally, often to Europe or Ireland due to incentives, reversing the original draw of Los Angeles weather. Wright expressed a desire to shoot a film in Los Angeles despite the current production trends.
Adapting The Running Man
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(01:21:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man focused on realizing the book’s intense satire and maintaining Ben Richards’ singular point of view, unlike the 1987 film.
  • Summary: Wright adapted the film to be a new version of the source material, emphasizing the book’s fiery satire, which he first read as a teenager. A key decision was to keep the perspective strictly with Ben Richards, avoiding cuts back to the studio network to maintain tension and ensure the audience shared his lack of information. The film was uniquely set in 2025, the year Stephen King originally set the novel, and Paramount pushed for a rapid production schedule to meet that year.
Action Sequence Choreography
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(01:40:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Wright’s action sequences are meticulously planned via storyboards and on-set rehearsals with stunt teams, with the editor often working on set to ensure seamless cuts.
  • Summary: The complex action sequences, like the YVA scene, required extensive prep involving sets, real locations (shot across London, Glasgow, and Bulgaria), and stunt coordination centered around actor Glen Powell’s capabilities. Wright and his editor, Paul Matchless, edit on set to confirm continuity and transitions work immediately, which is crucial for action choreography and helps manage the tight production schedule. This method ensures that the final shot chosen is the definitive take, streamlining the subsequent visual effects process.
Casting Glen Powell
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(01:50:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Glen Powell’s casting in The Running Man was driven by his lack of prior roles as a trained killer or superhero.
  • Summary: The hosts praise Glen Powell as a rare leading man under 40 capable of handling diverse tones. Director Edgar Wright confirmed Powell was on the studio’s list for the role of Ben Richards. Wright favored Powell because he hadn’t played a trained killer or superhero, fitting the character’s background as a construction worker and out-of-work dad.
Powell’s Audition Texts
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(01:51:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Glen Powell proactively auditioned for the role via text message after seeing his film Hitman screen without him.
  • Summary: Powell sent Wright a photo of the Hitman screening banner at the London Film Festival during the SAG strike, stating, “Consider this my audition date.” Later, Powell sent a second text promising to work harder than any other actor if considered for The Running Man.
Adapting Stephen King Material
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(01:55:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Stephen King had final approval on the adaptation of The Running Man and praised the script’s use of disguise work.
  • Summary: Wright had to secure Stephen King’s approval, sending him a link to Hitman since the film wasn’t released yet. King loved the adaptation, which added a new layer of pressure for Wright to live up to King’s vision. The film features disguise work, echoing elements found in Hitman.
Filmmaking Enjoyment and Pressure
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(01:57:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Filmmakers rarely enjoy the process on set because they are constantly focused on solving problems and meeting internal/external expectations.
  • Summary: Wright notes that directors are usually too focused on the next shot to celebrate successful takes, constantly battling butterflies about living up to the film in their head. He cited John Bernthal’s advice: “If this shit was easy, every asshole would do it,” as a guiding principle for enduring difficult shoots.
Filmmaker Media Habits
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(02:01:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Edgar Wright uses Letterboxd privately to log watched media and intentionally watches the lowest-rated films he owns.
  • Summary: Wright uses Letterboxd secretly to track his physical media collection, which sometimes causes existential dread about never watching it all. He admitted to being a contrary bastard by prioritizing watching the worst-rated films he owns after identifying the best ones.
Last Great Things Seen
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(02:04:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Edgar Wright highly recommends the films No Other Choice and Pillion after seeing them at the London Film Festival.
  • Summary: Wright praised No Other Choice, noting he read the source novel, The Axe, and thought it was the best Coen Brothers film never made, later watching the Costas Gavras adaptation. He and the hosts agreed Pillion, starring Harry Melling, is fantastic despite potential US cuts due to explicit content.