In 1982, Ben Richards had to die to be heard; in 2025, his survival is a weapon: explore the psychological shift of The Running Man, from Stephen King’s brutal book ending to the movie’s digital revolution.
It has been described as the definitive cinematic adaptation of The Running Man, the 1982 novel written by Stephen King under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Indeed, there are several reasons why this version is considered the perfect update to this classic story.
The film arrives in theaters in 2025—fittingly, the very year in which the original book was set. However, Edgar Wright’s film is set in a Kafkaesque future where society is dominated by an all-encompassing system of control. The protagonist is Ben Richards, a fundamentally good man who instinctively helps others—and is hated by the system for it. He has been blacklisted from every possible job due to his persistent “insubordination.”
Ben has a wife and a young daughter in desperate need of medical care. Pushed into a dire financial corner, he is convinced to participate in The Running Man, a television program where the grand prize is a billion “new dollars,” but where no one has ever survived. Reassured that his family will receive daily reward money regardless of his ultimate fate, Ben signs his life away. He is actually supported by the show’s production team, who see him as the one candidate who might actually be able to win the game.
The Network only cares about ratings, and a character like Ben can make them skyrocket. However, that doesn’t mean the Network will play fair. The film’s ending has sparked intense debate, primarily because it differs significantly from the original book.
Let’s explore the philosophy of the 2025 film, the spirit of the book, the differences in the finale, and the answer to the ultimate question: Does Ben Richards finally win The Running Man?
The Ending of The Running Man: Differences Between Film and Book
In the 2025 film, Ben Richards manages to find support among the less fortunate layers of society, who begin to see him as a hero fighting the system. The Network initially tries to counter this characterization through a technique perfectly suited to our contemporary idea of the future: deepfaking his daily video check-ins and presenting him as a cold-blooded killer.
In truth, Richards’ only goal is to survive and return to his family. Given the public support he receives, there is even a possibility this might happen. However, the Network has no intention of letting the story end so simply. They engineer a cruel twist: they tell Richards that the Hunters have killed his wife and daughter—violating the game’s sacred rules—and even show him a video that appears to document their deaths. This is all to set the stage for a new finale, proposed to Richards by the program’s producer, Dan Killian: Ben is given the green light to kill all the current Hunters and become a Hunter himself for the next season of The Running Man.
Knowing the program’s habit of faking videos and withholding information, Richards doesn’t know for certain if his family is dead or alive. On the 19th day of the game, the series’ most critical episode takes place: Ben Richards boards a plane full of Hunters, having (falsely) threatened to detonate a bomb, in an attempt to flee the country. It is here that the production lays out its blackmail after exposing his bluff: either Richards accepts the role as a Hunter for the Network, or his plane will be shot down by a missile.
Richards refuses any deal, still not knowing his family’s fate. The plane is shot down, and the series seemingly ends. However, the film offers a surprisingly optimistic conclusion: we discover that Ben Richards survived via an automatic cockpit ejection. His family is, in fact, alive. Furthermore, the plane’s black box is recovered, and through the help of the influencer known as “The Apostle,” society discovers how the Network lied about everything regarding Richards.
The public is now in open revolt. Ben Richards effectively becomes “The Initiator” of the revolution that strips the Network of its power. Surviving and reunited with his family, Ben appears in the audience during the new season of The Running Man, which begins amidst violent rioting. The final shot of the film falls on Richards as he climbs onto the stage, points his gun at Killian, and fires.
This is an unexpectedly optimistic ending where the good guys win, the villains die, and the hero is reunited with his family—a total departure from the finale of Stephen King’s novel. In the book, Ben Richards’ wife and daughter are truly killed days before the end. A desperate Richards, with nothing left to live for, pilots the plane directly into the Network’s Games Building, committing suicide while killing the show’s leadership.
Nihilism as a victory over the system versus perseverance as an effective weapon: the difference between the endings is radical and has sparked much debate among King’s fans. Yet, the film’s production had previously consulted with Stephen King himself, who read the script and expressed his appreciation for the new direction. As reported by Collider, King told director Edgar Wright:
‘I was very curious how you were going to tackle the ending, and I think you did a great job.’
Stephen King to Edgar Wright, before the movie release
So, Does Ben Richards Win The Running Man? The Ending Explained
Technically, winning The Running Man meant surviving for thirty days, sending in daily video tapes, and outrunning the Hunters. In the book, this “technical” victory never happens because the protagonist dies. Similarly, in the 2025 film, the series officially ends on the 19th day with the disappearance of Ben Richards from the screens. Nevertheless, if we analyze the original philosophy of both stories, one can argue that, in both cases, Ben Richards ultimately wins against the system of The Running Man.
In the book, Ben Richards is forced to accept a bitter reality: there is no longer a reason to try and “win” the game since his family is already dead. Consequently, he is willing to sacrifice his life for a morally righteous goal: the total destruction of the Games Co. by killing those responsible. He is the Kamikaze who dies to ensure the death of his enemy. The hero perishes for a better future, and the system is effectively obliterated.
In the 2025 film, victory takes on even more positive connotations. Although the game is interrupted by the news of the contestant’s death… “Richards Lives”. This phrase becomes the symbol of the ongoing revolution, spray-painted by the people on every wall and shared across all channels by The Apostle. Ben Richards is indeed alive; he reaches his family and becomes an active leader in the revolt against the Network.
The game loses all appeal once the viewers discover its true, evil face. There is no longer an audience to support The Running Man, and the premiere of the new season is a total disaster, with the host abandoning ship and the executive producer becoming a target for the mob. Ben Richards, alive and still fueled by righteous anger, kills Dan Killian, effectively ending the Network’s influence over society.
Viewers, of course, had more specific questions: Does Ben Richards win The Running Man? Technically, no, because the game ends on Day 19 in the 2025 movie. Does he receive the money from the Network? Yes. All the rewards earned from his survival and the deaths of the Hunters are transferred in real-time to his family. From this perspective, while the Network plays dirty in the media, they actually respect the rules of the contract, protecting Ben’s family and providing them with the money they are owed.
The Finish Line Paradox and Survival as an Act of Rebellion
There is a cruel paradox at the heart of The Running Man: in a game designed to have no winners, the finish line is not a physical boundary but a psychological limit. In 1982, Stephen King was writing in an era of economic anxiety and social rage; for his Ben Richards, victory could only be an act of obliteration. In a world that had stripped him of everything—dignity, employment, and ultimately, family—the only possible “victory” was suicide, which liberated him from his role as a pawn of the system. Richards wins by becoming a kamikaze: he destroys himself to erase his presence from the game and ensure the halls of power crumble alongside him.
In 2025, Edgar Wright’s vision radically shifts the story’s philosophical center of gravity. Today, our fear is no longer just poverty, but the manipulation of reality. If the Network can create “deepfakes” of your death or transform you into a digital monster in the eyes of the public, then the mere act of staying alive becomes the most powerful weapon.
This is the heart of the change: in the book, Richards must die to stop being a pawn; in the movie, Richards must survive to become a symbol. Thanks to the role of “The Apostle,” his survival is transformed into a signal of revolt shared across every channel. His life no longer belongs to him, but to the truth itself. The prophecy Ben Richards shares with Killian at the start of the film comes true: “I don’t know how yet, but I’m gonna f–k you up someday.”
While King’s Richards wins by becoming a ghost that haunts the system after his death, Wright’s Richards wins by becoming a physical body that confronts it on stage. Survival is no longer a primal instinct of self-preservation, but a conscious political act. The slogan “Richards Lives” is not a wish for good luck, but tangible proof of the Network’s failure.
In a world of programmed fictions, Ben Richards won because he forced reality back into the live broadcast.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about The Running Man (2025)
Does Ben Richards win the game in The Running Man?
Technically, in the 2025 film, Ben Richards does not complete the required 30 days because the show is interrupted on Day 19. however, Richards achieves a moral victory by surviving, exposing the Network’s lies, and leading the revolution that ends the game forever.
What is the difference between the book ending and the movie ending?
In Stephen King’s 1982 novel, Ben Richards dies in a suicide attack on the Games Building after discovering his family has been killed. In Edgar Wright’s 2025 film, Richards survives his plane being shot down, finds his family alive, and kills producer Dan Killian on stage, becoming a symbol of hope.
Does Ben Richards’ family die in The Running Man?
In the original novel, yes—his wife and daughter are brutally killed before the finale. In the 2025 movie, their deaths are a “deepfake” created by the Network to manipulate Ben; the family is ultimately found safe and sound by the resistance.
What does the slogan “Richards Lives” mean?
“Richards Lives” is the rallying cry of the revolution in the 2025 film. It represents the Network’s failure to control reality: despite their attempts to declare him dead or frame him as a villain, the truth of his survival becomes the spark for the popular uprising.
Did Stephen King approve of the new movie ending?
Yes. Despite the radical changes from his book, Stephen King stated that he greatly enjoyed how Edgar Wright handled the story’s conclusion, calling it a “great job” of adapting the material for modern times.
Did Ben Richards get the money?
Yes. In the 2025 film, despite the Network’s attempts to manipulate and blackmail him, they adhered to the technical rules of the contract. All financial rewards accumulated through his daily survival and the elimination of the Hunters were transferred to his family in real-time, ensuring their financial security even as the system itself began to crumble.
What is the meaning of the ending of The Running Man?
The ending signifies the triumph of reality over digital manipulation. While the original story concluded with a desperate act of nihilistic revenge, the 2025 movie’s ending suggests that in an age of deepfakes and media control, the ultimate act of rebellion is survival. Ben Richards winning the game means he has reclaimed his own image from the Network, turning a televised execution into a live revolution.
