Paramount, Producer of Anti-Establishment Satire The Running Man, Faces Scrutiny Over Recent Business Practices
LOS ANGELES, CA – Paramount Pictures’ recent release of a restored The Running Man, a 1987 dystopian action film satirizing media control and government oppression, is drawing sharp irony given the studio’s own recent actions regarding content control, layoffs, and alleged attempts to influence media coverage. The film, based on a novel by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman), depicts a televised game show were convicts compete in a deadly fight for freedom, highlighting themes of corporate power and the manipulation of public opinion.
Paramount’s simultaneous release of a film critical of systemic control comes as the company navigates a period of significant internal restructuring and public scrutiny. Over the past year, paramount has announced plans for a price increase for its streaming service, Paramount+, alongside a reduction of approximately 1,600 employees – a move intended to generate $1.5 billion for new content investment. Together, reports have surfaced alleging the company engaged in efforts to control narratives surrounding its business dealings and silence dissenting voices, both internally and externally.
These actions have prompted comparisons to the very themes explored in The Running Man, where a totalitarian regime uses entertainment to distract and control the populace. The A.V.Club noted the situation, observing Paramount’s actions as “blacklisting and silencing the opposition…pissing all over free speech, attempting to shape the news to their favor, and paying off the government-all in service of gaining more control over more of the media landscape.” The article further drew a parallel to Paramount’s previous work, The Rehearsal, suggesting the company “cosplays as Nazi Germany.”
The timing raises questions about the creative intent behind releasing the Running Man and whether the film’s message is undermined by the studio’s current business practices. Production on the restored film wrapped on March 28th, preceding the full public awareness of some of the alleged actions. Whether these external events influenced director Paul Michael Wright’s final cut remains unknown, but the juxtaposition has fueled a sense of “defeated absurdity” regarding the film’s anti-establishment message, according to the A.V. Club.
