1987's The Running Man saw Arnold Schwarzenegger dodging chainsaws and delivering one-liners. Based on a Stephen King novel written under his pen name Richard Bachman, this sci-fi flick imagined a future where a corrupt government turns manslaughter into primetime entertainment. It has become a cult classic, and the story of how it got made is just as wild as the movie itself.
Here are some verified facts about the making of The Running Man.
1. Christopher Reeve was originally cast in the lead role
Before Schwarzenegger was ever attached, the film was set to star Christopher Reeve as Ben Richards, with George P. Cosmatos directing. Both were replaced before the cameras started rolling.
2. The original director got fired while Arnold was out of town
Andrew Davis was hired to direct, but he was fired mid-shoot. Schwarzenegger was away judging a bodybuilding contest for the weekend, and when he got back to Hollywood on Monday, Davis was gone. Paul Michael Glaser took over instead.
3. The new director used to play Starsky
Paul Michael Glaser, the man who ended up finishing the film, is best known for playing Starsky on the TV show Starsky and Hutch.
4. The producer had no idea Richard Bachman was Stephen King
When producer Rob Cohen bought the film rights to the novel, he was confused why they cost so much for a book from a relatively unknown writer named Richard Bachman. He only found out afterward that Bachman was a pen name for Stephen King.
5. Dynamo's opera singing was completely real
Erland van Lidth, who played the hulking musical stalker Dynamo, was an actual trained opera singer as well as a professional wrestler. When his character sings an aria from The Marriage of Figaro on screen, that is really him singing live.
6. Dynamo's actor died just two months before release
Erland van Lidth passed away from heart failure at just 34 years old, two months before The Running Man hit theaters. His role in the film ended up being one of his final performances.
7. Arnold acted alongside a future fellow governor
Jesse Ventura, who later became the Governor of Minnesota, starred alongside Schwarzenegger here, plus Predator and Batman and Robin. Two action movie stars, two governorships, three shared films.
8. One character was named after the actor playing him
Bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen, a friend of Schwarzenegger's and part of his wedding party, played a stalker in the film. His character's name was simply Sven.
9. The release date got shuffled to avoid Arnold competing with himself
The Running Man was originally scheduled for a July 1987 release, but the studio pushed it back four months so it would not go head to head with Schwarzenegger's other big release that summer, Predator.
The Running Man might get overshadowed by Schwarzenegger's other 80s hits, but its behind-the-scenes drama, from directors getting swapped out to a lead actor being replaced before filming even began, makes it just as interesting off screen as on.
