Glen Powell Gets Redemption After His 133-Minute Sci-Fi Movie Sets Streaming Record
Glen Powell has earned redemption after one of his biggest misfires has found unmatched success on streaming. The actor was thrust into the spotlight as Hollywood's next bankable leading man after a series of box office hits. After he stole scenes in Top Gun: Maverick as it grossed $1.4 billion, the offers came flooding in for Powell to headline more movies and shows.
His steamy on-screen chemistry with Sydney Sweeney in Anyone But You propelled it to $220 million in 2023. Powell then breathed new life into the Twister franchise with 2024's Twisters, which performed very well, grossing $372 million. Add in the critical success of Netflix's Hit Man, and Powell was on quite the hot streak heading into last year. It was expected that would lead to even more success.
The Running Man was meant to be his next huge hit, as he teamed up with acclaimed director Edgar Wright to bring a new take to Stephen King's source material previously adapted for the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead. However, the theatrical release didn't bring the results everyone hoped for, leaving the sci-fi action movie to be labeled as a box office bomb.
The tides have now turned, as Nielsen revealed that The Running Man was Paramount+'s most-watched movie in the first half of 2026 and a top-10 streaming movie overall, with 2.307 billion minutes viewed. No other Paramount+ movies are in the top 20, meaning The Running Man cleared its competition by over 600 million minutes viewed. It solidifies Powell's movie as a win on streaming.
The Running Man's Streaming Success Was Needed After Its Box Office
The Nielsen data is just the latest example of The Running Man finding its audience on streaming. When the movie debuted on Paramount+ in January, it immediately became the No. 1 movie on the streamer. The remake went on to primarily hold down the top spot for six weeks straight. Subscribers became so enamored with the movie that The Running Man climbed to No. 1 again in March, over two months after first becoming available.
All of this just goes to show how popular The Running Man has been on Paramount+ throughout 2026. That's exactly what the movie needed after its disappointing box office performance. The movie only made $69.4 million worldwide, even though it reportedly cost $110 million to make. That makes it a clear flop, and that label can sometimes be difficult for movies to shake even after going to streaming.
The Running Man's great streaming metrics don't wipe out the box office performance entirely, but it does give Paramount a different way to view the film. The viewership could have been high enough for the studio to recoup a portion of its losses. And if anyone specifically subscribed to Paramount+ to see The Running Man, that's another win.
The Running Man's Paramount+ Record Is A Sign Of Glen Powell's Stardom
The success isn't just good for Paramount, as it also is a positive reflection on Powell. The Running Man's box office performance raised plenty of questions about how big of a draw he really is for audiences. Those discussions were only heightened after his 2026 A24 comedy thriller How to Make a Killing made an uninspiring $21.6 million worldwide.
The Running Man might have some IP appeal for King readers and those familiar with the previous movie, but it is primarily sold and marketed on Powell. He's the big face Paramount+ subscribers see when scrolling through the service, and clearly a lot of people wound up pressing play. Whether they tuned in just for Powell or not is impossible to know, but he obviously didn't deter interest.
After Hit Man's popularity on Netflix, Chad Powers' performance for Hulu, and How to Make a Killing's resurgence on Prime Video, The Running Man's success on Paramount+ proves that Powell's stardom extends to streaming, not just theaters. The big screen experience will certainly remain his focus, but there is now a solid track record of his movies also gaining strong interest on streaming.