Glen Powell blames Paramount marketing layoffs for The Running Man's box office flop
In an Esquire profile, Glen Powell said Paramount's layoffs of its marketing department during a merger hurt The Running Man, which earned about $69 million on a $110 million budget. Outlets note other factors, including mixed reviews and competition.
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The story, neutrally told
Centre · 2Glen Powell, star of Edgar Wright's 2025 film The Running Man, told Esquire that Paramount "let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger." Screen RantN “let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger” Read at Screen Rant ↗ /FilmN “They let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger” Read at /Film ↗ Centre · 2The film, an adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novel that was previously made into a 1987 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, opened in theaters on November 14, 2025. Screen RantN “previously adapted into a 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger” Read at Screen Rant ↗ /FilmN “upon hitting theaters on November 14, 2025” Read at /Film ↗ Centre · 2It reportedly cost $110 million to make and earned about $69 million worldwide (Screen Rant) or $69.5 million (/Film), and both outlets call it a box office flop. Screen RantN “reportedly cost $110 million to make, was a box office bomb, earning just $69 million worldwide” Read at Screen Rant ↗ /FilmN “The movie made $69.5 million on a $110 million budget” Read at /Film ↗
Centre · 1/Film reports that Paramount did carry out mass layoffs in October 2025 after its merger with Skydance: the New York Times reported more than 2,000 employees affected, and Deadline reported cuts to executives in production, marketing and music, among others. /FilmN “the company had begun laying off more than 2,000 employees following its merger with Skydance”“executives in "production, marketing, music, and more" were affected by the October cuts” Read at /Film ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant dates the Skydance–Paramount Global merger from its announcement on July 7, 2024 to its close on August 7, 2025. Screen RantN “announced on July 7, 2024, and closed on August 7, 2025” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 2Both outlets say Powell's explanation is probably incomplete. They cite mixed reviews (61% on Rotten Tomatoes per Screen Rant, 63% per /Film) and competition. /Film adds weak word of mouth, rising costs, streaming and audience indifference to decades-old IP, and calls the marketing explanation a "neat way of distracting" from other failings. Screen RantN “earning it a just-barely Fresh score of 61% on Rotten Tomatoes” Read at Screen Rant ↗ /FilmN “the film earned a 63% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes”“it's certainly a neat way of distracting from any other possible failings” Read at /Film ↗
Centre · 1Screen Rant says the film earned a B+ CinemaScore and opened at No. 2 behind Now You See Me: Now You Don't, then stayed in the domestic top five for only three weekends against Wicked: For Good, Zootopia 2 and Five Nights at Freddy's 2. Screen RantN “it also had stiff theatrical competition during its theatrical run”“The Running Man only managed to hang onto a position in the domestic Top 5 for three weekends” Read at Screen Rant ↗ Centre · 1Edgar Wright told Empire that box office is "treated like football results" and that he is proud of the movie. Steven E. de Souza, writer of the 1987 film, told The Hollywood Reporter that reviews say the new film stumbles at the end. /FilmN “It's a weird thing that happens with all films, where their box office is treated like football results”“Even the reviews that love it say it stumbles at the end.” Read at /Film ↗ Centre · 1Screen Rant notes that Powell's next film, How to Make a Killing, also underperformed. It adds that he had a supporting role in the billion-dollar The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and has upcoming projects including The Comeback King and J. J. Abrams' The Great Beyond, a Warner Bros. film due in October 2027. It warns that Paramount's new merger with Warner Bros. Discovery could affect upcoming releases. Screen RantN “Glen Powell followed the Stephen King movie with 2026's How to Make a Killing, which also underperformed”“Paramount Skydance just closed yet another merger, this time with Warner Bros. Discovery” Read at Screen Rant ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with Powell's Esquire remark blaming Paramount's marketing cuts, then weigh it against other causes. Screen Rant adds career context and the risk of further mergers; /Film is more sceptical of Powell's account.
- Emphasis
- Screen Rant stresses merger timing, release competition and Powell's upcoming projects. /Film stresses the verified layoffs, reviews, word of mouth and industry economics, plus Wright and de Souza's comments.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet gives Paramount's response to Powell's claim.
- Charged language
- “box office bomb”“flopped”“neat way of distracting”
- For example
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“There are likely other factors that went into the movie's underperformance” — Screen Rant
“it's certainly a neat way of distracting from any other possible failings” — /Film
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The Running Man was released on November 14, 2025 and cost about $110 million.
- It earned roughly $69 million worldwide and is described as a flop.
- Powell told Esquire that Paramount let go of its marketing department a month before release, during a merger.
- Reviews were mixed.
Where accounts differ
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How much Paramount's marketing layoffs explain the flop
- Centre
- Screen Rant says other factors likely contributed. /Film says there may be truth to Powell's claim but that marketing is one small part of a bigger picture.
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Rotten Tomatoes score and worldwide gross
- Centre
- Screen Rant gives 61% and $69 million; /Film gives 63% and $69.5 million.
Glen Powell person
Powell attributes the film's poor performance to Paramount cutting its marketing department during the merger.
“They let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger” — /Film
Edgar Wright person
Wright plays down the importance of box office and says he is proud of the film.
“I'm proud of the movie. There's a lot to talk about, and there is a life beyond the opening weekend.” — /Film
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Glen Powell Clarifies His Stephen King Adaptation’s $110M Box Office Bomb
Neutral Reports Powell's comment, places it in the Paramount merger timeline, lists other factors and looks ahead to his upcoming films and Paramount's next merger.
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/FilmN ·
Running Man: Glen Powell Knows Why His Stephen King Adaptation Barely Impacted The Box Office
Critical Confirms the layoffs but doubts they explain the flop, suggesting Powell's account deflects from other failings.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 7 Oct 18:39 First Screen RantN Glen Powell Clarifies His Stephen King Adaptation’s $110M Box Office Bomb
- 11 Oct 18:00 +95h 21m /FilmN Running Man: Glen Powell Knows Why His Stephen King Adaptation Barely Impacted The Box Office
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.