--- title: "Glen Powell avoids politics, blames Paramount for film flop" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop" category: "Politics" published: "2026-10-07T20:45:32.192Z" source_reported: "2026-10-07T18:58:49.000Z" updated: "2026-10-07T20:45:32.192Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-07T20:30:21.460788+00:00" --- # Glen Powell avoids politics, blames Paramount for film flop *The actor cited divisive discourse for his silence on political matters.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named body, but no independent outlets or named sources on the record. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Quotes from the subject, mentions of other celebrities, and clear separation of fact from comment. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise discussion of politics and box office flops, which the articles deliver on. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Glen Powell stated he avoids discussing politics because he believes it divides people and that current discourse is unhealthy. - Powell attributed the box office failure of 'The Running Man' to Paramount laying off its marketing department during a merger. - 'The Running Man' grossed under $70 million against a reported $110 million budget, and 'How to Make a Killing' earned $21 million worldwide. - Powell's mother worked in the Reagan administration at the U.S. Treasury Department. Actor Glen Powell has explained his public silence on political matters, stating that he finds political discourse unhealthy and divisive. Powell told Esquire that engaging in politics is "not presently possible" for him, though he respects those who fight for their beliefs. He noted that his mother worked in the Reagan administration at the U.S. Treasury Department, but politics were not a frequent topic at home. Powell also addressed the underperformance of his film 'The Running Man,' which he starred in. He attributed its box office failure to significant changes at Paramount Pictures. According to Powell, the studio "let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger." The film grossed less than $70 million on a reported $110 million budget. Another film Powell starred in, 'How to Make a Killing,' earned $21 million worldwide. ## Disagreement on film performance While Powell stated that 'The Running Man' grossed under $70 million on a reported $110 million budget, and 'How to Make a Killing' underperformed at $21 million worldwide, the reports do not provide alternative figures for these films. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports printed below mention Powell's mother's work in the Reagan administration at the U.S. Treasury Department. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (6) - Centre: 33% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 4 of 13 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-07T20:30:21.460788+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-07T21:00:52.239Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted Powell's comments on avoiding politics, quoting his statement that "politics divide people" and that he "genuinely do not like the discourse." These reports also focused on Powell's explanation for 'The Running Man's' box office failure, specifically mentioning Paramount's decision to lay off its marketing department during a merger. Several reports included Powell's exact words about the situation, such as "They let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out in the middle of a merger." The financial figures for 'The Running Man' and 'How to Make a Killing' were also included across these reports. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on Powell's explanation for the box office struggles of 'The Running Man,' noting his attribution of the failure to changes at Paramount Pictures. These reports included Powell's statement that the studio "let go of an entire marketing department a month before our movie came out." The actor's reasons for avoiding political discussions were also covered, with reports mentioning his view that political discourse is divisive. ### Right No separate framing summary. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 6 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Hollywood Reporter](https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/glen-powell-politics-1236724656) — Glen Powell Says He Doesn’t Want to Talk Politics, Blames Paramount Marketing Cuts for ‘The Running Man’ Box Office Performance - [The Playlist](https://theplaylist.net/glen-powell-the-running-man-20261007) — Glen Powell Says He Avoids Politics Because It “Divides People”—Then Blames Corporate Layoffs & A Merger For ‘The Running Man’ Flopping - [ScreenRant](https://screenrant.com/glen-powell-stephen-king-the-running-man-box-office-bomb-clarified) — Glen Powell Clarifies His Stephen King Adaptation’s $110M Box Office Bomb - [ComingSoon.net](https://comingsoon.net/movies/news/2203528-glen-powell-paramount-merger-running-man-flop) — Glen Powell Explains Why The Running Man Movie Was Such a Big Box Office Flop - [Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/10/glen-powell-politics-running-man-flopped-1237149154) — Glen Powell On Why He Doesn't Talk Politics & Why 'Running Man' Flopped - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/glen-powell-politics-democrat-republican-b3062958.html) — Glen Powell has a message for fans asking about his politics - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/glen-powell-politics-democrat-republican-b3062958.html) — Glen Powell has a message for fans asking about his politics - [Fiction Horizon](https://fictionhorizon.com/glen-powell-opens-up-about-avoiding-politics-and-blames-paramount-turmoil-for-the-running-man-flop) — Glen Powell Opens Up About Avoiding Politics and Blames Paramount Turmoil for ‘The Running Man’ Flop - [Reality Tea](https://realitytea.com/2026/10/07/glen-powell-politics-hollywood-interviews) — Glen Powell Explains Why Politics Is Off-Limits for Him - [comicbasics.com](https://comicbasics.com/glen-powell-explains-why-the-running-man-flopped-and-he-points-the-finger-at-paramount) — Glen Powell Explains Why 'The Running Man' Flopped, and He Points the Finger at Paramount - [Just Jared](https://justjared.com/2026/10/07/glen-powell-explains-why-he-doesnt-talk-politics-why-his-2-recent-movies-werent-box-office-hits) — Glen Powell Explains Why He Doesn't Talk Politics & Why His 2 Recent Movies Weren't Box Office Hits - [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/glen-powell-politics-interviews-running-man-flop-1236904266) — Glen Powell Is Staying Quiet on Politics Because ‘I Do Not Like the Discourse,’ Says ‘Running Man’ Flopped After Paramount Laid Off ‘Entire Marketing Department’ - [Daily Front Row](https://fashionweekdaily.com/glen-powell-esquire) — Glen Powell Opens Up About His Girlfriend and the Film That Broke Him in New Esquire Cover Story ## Questions **Why does Glen Powell avoid talking about politics?** Glen Powell stated that he avoids political discussions because he believes politics divide people and that the current discourse is not healthy. He indicated that engaging in politics is not presently possible for him, though he respects those who do. **What caused 'The Running Man' to flop at the box office?** Glen Powell attributed the box office failure of 'The Running Man' to actions taken by Paramount Pictures. He explained that the studio laid off its entire marketing department a month before the film's release, during a merger, which he believes prevented the movie from being properly promoted. **How much did 'The Running Man' and 'How to Make a Killing' gross?** 'The Running Man' grossed under $70 million on a reported budget of $110 million. 'How to Make a Killing,' another film starring Powell, earned $21 million worldwide. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Glen Powell avoids politics, blames Paramount for film flop", https://mediabias.news/politics/glen-powell-avoids-politics-blames-paramount-for-film-flop