In what seems sure to go down as either the best or the worst idea for a game show ever, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's long-shelved reality competition show that involves teams of "chasers" pursuing a "fugitive"-style "runner" across the United States is finally happening after 16 years, according to a report in Deadline.
The series titled The Runner, which is set to launch this summer, has reportedly been picked up by the streaming app go90. There will be a $1 million prize at stake for the runner who will attempt to travel across the U.S. undetected for 30 days while stopping at mandated checkpoints.
The chasers will have mobile devices that give them clues as they track the runner and try to make a capture. Meanwhile, people will be playing along from home offering tips to help capture the runner, which can win them cash rewards. Multiple updates on the runner will be posted throughout the day.
Does it sound a little familiar? Perhaps a bit dystopian? It should. As Slate points out, it's basically the same rules as the the insanely violent game played in the future America of 2025 portrayed in the Stephen King novel (and later, the movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger), The Running Man.
Via Slate, here’s a producer in the novel explaining the rules of The Running Man:
