Zack Snyder has finally offered some details on his upcoming remake of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, confirming when his version of the sci-fi action classic will be set. He also appears to have an actor in mind to play Snake Plissken, although he’s not ready to reveal who it is yet.
Snyder is writing and directing the new Escape from New York for StudioCanal and The Picture Company, with his Stone Quarry partners Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller producing. Carpenter is also involved as an executive producer.
The filmmaker discussed the project during a wide-ranging appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Thanks to our friends at Bloody Disgusting for the transcription.
One of the most interesting things Snyder revealed is that his version of Escape from New York will take place in 1997, just as Carpenter’s original film did.
“The movie is going to be set in ’97, from the perspective of 1981.”
He went on to describe the version of history he has created for the remake:
“I set the movie [in] the war between the United States Police Force and the elements, criminal elements. It takes place, I think, July 9th, 1981, which is the release date of the original movie … The rest is pretty much Escape from New York.”
Snyder isn’t looking to completely reinvent the basic premise of Escape from New York. Instead, he appears to be building his own version of the alternate history that Carpenter established in the original movie.
Snyder also talked about what he loves about Carpenter’s Escape from New York:
“Talk about a movie that’s the perfect combination of kitsch and camp. It’s all the things, that’s why I love it. But also, it’s [in] a way that’s satire and can get to us. We can make comments about government and all the overreach or whatever you want to call it, the People’s Liberation Front of America, all that stuff is very … That’s in the headlines. It’s quite current, in some ways.”
The original Escape from New York was set in a dystopian 1997 in which Manhattan has been transformed into a maximum security prison. When the President of the United States crash-lands on the island, convicted criminal and former Special Forces soldier Snake Plissken is sent in to rescue him. The catch? Snake has only 24 hours to complete the mission before explosives implanted in his neck kill him.
Of course, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Escape from New York remake is who will take over the role that Kurt Russell made iconic. Snyder didn’t reveal the actor, but he did seem to confirm that he already has someone in mind.
“I may. I’m not going to say. He better look like Snake, or I’ll walk out.”
Whoever gets the part will have some very large boots to fill. Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken is one of the greatest characters of the 1980s.
Snyder’s version isn’t the first attempt to bring Escape from New York back to the big screen. In fact, a remake has been in development in one form or another since 2007. New Line Cinema initially acquired the rights and hired Len Wiseman, director of Underworld, to take the helm. Ken Nolan was writing the screenplay, and Gerard Butler was attached to play Snake Plissken.
Wiseman eventually departed and Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) took over as director, but he also stepped away. Breck Eisner (Sahara) was subsequently considered to direct, while David Kajganich and Allan Loeb worked on rewrites. New Line ultimately abandoned that version of the project in 2011.
Fox and The Picture Company picked up Escape from New York in 2015, with Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn) hired to direct and Neil Cross writing the screenplay. That version also failed to reach production.
Then, in 2019, Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man) was hired to write and potentially direct the movie. That didn’t happen, either.
The project received another major development in 2022 when Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of Radio Silence were hired to direct. The filmmaking duo, whose credits include Scream and Scream VI, were planning something a little different. Their Escape from New York was described as a “requel,” rather than a straightforward remake.
Radio Silence eventually moved on from the project, and StudioCanal subsequently became involved.
Now the movie has landed with Zack Snyder, who is writing and directing.
That’s the big question. After nearly two decades of filmmakers, writers and studios coming and going, Escape from New York has developed a reputation as one of those projects that Hollywood just can’t seem to get into production.
Snyder’s involvement is a substantial step forward, particularly now that the filmmaker has revealed more about his approach to the material. The plan is to set the movie in 1997, retain the basic story of Carpenter’s original, and embrace the mixture of action, camp, and political satire that made the 1981 film so memorable.
There’s still no release date, and the cast has yet to be announced. Most importantly, we still don’t know who Snyder wants to play Snake Plissken. But at least now we know a little more about what his Escape from New York is going to be like.
Are you interested in seeing a version of Escape from New York that’s written and directed by Zack Snyder? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.