Trivia for
The Running Man (1987) More at IMDbPro »

• Game show host Damon Killian is played by Richard Dawson, long-time host of the American game show "Family Feud" (1976).
  
  
• Actor Trademark: [Arnold Schwarzenegger] "I'll be back!"
  
  
• Prior to Paul Michael Glaser being hired as director, executive producer Rob Cohen had hired four other directors in his attempts to make the movie. The first was George P. Cosmatos, who had impressed Cohen with his work on Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985). However, when Cosmatos announced that he wanted to relocate the entire film to a shopping mall, Cohen let him go, feeling that Cosmatos was taking the script in an unacceptable direction. Cohen next offered the project to German director Carl Schenkel, having been impressed with Abwärts (1984), but Schenkel turned him down as he didn't feel comfortable taking on such a large project. Next, Cohen hired Ferdinand Fairfax, based upon his work on Nate and Hayes (1983). Like Cosmatos however, Fairfax began to take the screenplay in a direction which Cohen disliked, so once again, he let him go. Cohen then turned to Andrew Davis, having enjoyed Davis' movie Code of Silence (1985). Davis actually got the project off the ground and into production, but only eight days into the shoot, he was already $8 million over budget and four days behind schedule. As such Cohen let Davis go, and ultimately hired Glaser, whom he had worked with on the first season of "Miami Vice" (1984).
  
  
• This film is loosely based on a novel written by Stephen King that he penned under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman. He wrote the story in 72 hours.
  
  
• Features two actors who went on to be US State Governors. In November 1998, Jesse Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota; in October 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California.
  
  
• The film was initially to star either Dolph Lundgren or Christopher Reeve, but it never got started. Patrick Swayze had also been considered.
  
  
• The code to deactivate the Sonic Deadline (the explosive neck collars) is "653-9X".
  
  
• When Killian is sending Fireball into the game, he says, "There he goes, the leading rusher." Fireball was played by Jim Brown, the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards until the mid-'80s.
  
  
• The headquarters of the ICS television network is actually the Filmland Corporate Center, which was the home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the time of the film's making, 1987. A matte painting was used to represent the tower. Sony purchased MGM's old studio lot in 1992 and moved into the Filmand Building that same year. Ironically, they also purchased Tri-Star Pictures as well--the distributor of The Running Man (1987) in 1987. The building was renamed Sony Pictures Plaza.
  
  
• In Killian's office there is a poster for a fake TV show called "Hate Boat." In real life, Richard Dawson had a role in the TV series _ "Love Boat, The" (1977)(TV series)_.
  
  
• The ICS armed security guards all wear baseball batting helmets.
  
  
• The satellite up-link code is 18-24-61-B 17-17-4.
  
  
• The big dance number at the start of The Running Man show was choreographed by Paula Abdul.
  
  
• When Rob Cohen purchased the rights to the Richard Bachman novella 'The Running Man', he had no idea that Bachman was actually a pseudonym for 'Stephen King'.
  
  
• 'The Running Man' gameshow seen in the film was based upon an early 1980's Japanese gameshow called 'Trans American Ultra Quiz', in which contestants were tortured in various ways. The prize went to whichever contestant could stand the pain/humiliation the longest.
  
  
• The footage of the attacking helicopters is from King Kong (1976).
  
  
• Maria Conchita Alonso and Arnold Schwarzenegger have both starred (and survived) in the Predator movies. Jesse Ventura starred in the first Predator film, but didn't survive.
  
  
• Alex Cox has stated in interviews with The A.V. Club that he regrets not directing this film as he liked the story, but he was busy making Walker (1987) at the time.
  
  
• Dweezil Zappa, son of legendary American composer Frank Zappa, has only one line in the movie: "Don't touch that dial!", that being one of his father's most famous lyrics from the song "I am the Slime" (from the album "Over-nite Sensation", 1973).
  
  
• Four actors from the Predator franchise appear in this film. Arnold Schwarzenegger Jesse Ventura and Sven-Ole Thorsen all appear in Predator (1987), while Maria Conchita Alonso appear in Predator 2 (1990).
  
  
• The character "Mick," the leader of the underground, is played by drummer Mick Fleetwood of the super group Fleetwood Mac. His compatriot in the movie, a character named "Stevie" and played by Dweezil Zappa, is an obvious homage to Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.
  
  
• Erland van Lidth's last film.
  
  

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