High-Octane Adrenaline Meets Genuine Heart: How ‘Runner’ Brands South East Queensland as a Global Action Hub
Queensland’s position as a premier global film destination receives a resounding endorsement with Runner, a high-velocity action drama that doesn’t merely utilize South East Queensland as a convenient backdrop—it proudly weaves the distinct geography and energy of Brisbane and the Gold Coast into the very fabric of its storytelling.
Originally conceived on Hollywood’s prestigious Black List by screenwriters Miles Hubley and Tommy White, Runner began as a rain-soaked, neon-lit thriller racing through the night streets of Los Angeles. As development progressed under producers Todd Garner (Broken Road Productions), Mark Fasano (Nickel City Pictures), Jeffrey Greenstein (A Higher Standard), and Deborah Glover (G2 Dispatch), production realities prompted the team to explore global alternatives, including London and Spain. However, logistical roadblocks—specifically the impossibility of securing major street closures for heavy stunt work—led all roads straight to Australia. As lead actor Alan Ritchson humorously recalled of their Spanish scouting trips, “They go, ‘just so you know, we’re not going to let you lock up the streets… So, we just have to hope our stunt T-bone scene doesn’t actually kill any pedestrians.’ Spain had to be out.” Producer Jeffrey Greenstein added that Australia provided “the perfect synergy: beautiful locations, support from government, as well as the crews and abilities to lock down streets and shoot a movie of cars on roads.”
Rather than attempting to double the Australian landscape for an American metropolis, director Scott Waugh and the creative team made the bold decision to rewrite the screenplay specifically for daytime South East Queensland. This shift allowed the narrative to lean into the authentic infrastructure, sun-drenched aesthetic, and urban grit of Brisbane and the Gold Coast, delivering an authentic regional identity rarely seen in major Hollywood co-productions. Reflecting on the transition, Waugh noted, “When we decided to come to the Gold Coast, the original concept was to shoot it for London, and I said, ‘I think this story can really translate anywhere, so why don’t we just rewrite it for the Gold Coast and Brisbane?’ For me it was super fun to actually look at locations for its value rather than ‘what are we trying to cheat it as?’” Co-star Owen Wilson agreed that grounding the film in its actual filming location significantly enhanced the final product, stating, “To have it just be Australia and use elements of that in the story, which we do, I think made it good.”
At its core, Runner revives the classic action two-hander, drawing stylistic inspiration from genre hallmarks such as Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours, and Midnight Run. The film hinges on a propulsive ticking-clock premise: a courier and his reluctant partner have a narrow three-hour window to transport an extraordinarily rare blood type—RH-Null, known as “Golden Blood”—across the city while being relentlessly pursued by a lethal crime syndicate. The central engine of the narrative is the dynamic, high-stakes on-screen exchange between its mismatched leads. Alan Ritchson, currently operating as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after action stars, plays Hank Malone, a formidable ex-Navy SEAL turned courier. Opposite him, universal favorite Owen Wilson delivers a characteristically nuanced performance as Ben Bishop, a by-the-book medical courier caught in the crossfire.
What elevates Runner above standard high-concept action cinema is its emotional baseline. Beneath the non-stop vehicular pursuits, tactical gunplay, and explosive set pieces lies a surprisingly tender exploration of grief, love, and human resilience under extreme pressure. Producer Todd Garner emphasized this narrative balance: “We knew that this movie needed to have incredible action, but also at its heart be a movie about two guys that are going through this adventure together, that has a lot of humor and really great performances.” Director Scott Waugh, leveraging his background as a veteran stunt performer, orchestrates massive multi-vehicle chases across locked-down Queensland thoroughfares without sacrificing the grounded, human stakes that keep the audience invested. The action sequences are relentless, raw, and physically impressive, taking full advantage of the region’s expansive roads and urban infrastructure.
Runner stands as a compelling testament to South East Queensland’s capacity to host and elevate world-class, high-octane cinema. While the sheer velocity of the narrative occasionally pushes certain plot mechanics into over-the-top territory, and a few secondary sequences feel somewhat drawn out or momentarily convoluted amidst the kinetic chaos, the magnetic screen presence of Ritchson and Wilson keeps the film firmly anchored.
The result is an exhilarating, heart-filled action spectacle that industry distributors and cinema audiences alike will find thoroughly engaging. It comes highly recommended as a big-screen experience—one that firmly places Queensland on the world map for premium action filmmaking.
