It seems as though Zack Snyder isn’t done remaking cult classics from the ’70s and ’80s. Following his directorial debut in 2004 with Dawn of the Dead, based on the 1978 movie of the same name written and directed by George A. Romero, the filmmaker went on to make a name for himself with comic book adaptations, including Watchmen and the DC Extended Universe. Now, after directing the Rebel Moon franchise on Netflix, the filmmaker has set his sights on remaking an action gem from John Carpenter’s legendary body of work.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Snyder has signed on to write and direct a “reimagining” of Escape from New York. Originally released in 1981, the dystopian action film was one of many creative partnerships between Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell, who brought the character Snake Plissken to life. Sporting an eyepatch and snake tattoo, Snake quickly became an icon of 1980s action cinema. With a small production budget, Carpenter’s team created a dark and enclosed version of New York, as Snake is sent on a mission to rescue the President of the United States, who was taken hostage in the city that now serves as a prison.
According to THR, the intent is for Snyder’s remake of Escape from New York to be released in theaters, though the package is being shopped to both streamers and theatrical distributors. The Picture Company partners Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman are attached as producers through a deal with StudioCanal, as well as John Carpenter, due to his rights to the property and original film. Snyder is also attached as a producer under his Stone Quarry production banner, along with Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller.
AVCO Embassy Pictures
Given how early into the pre-production process this movie is, it’s unclear how much Carpenter will be involved in this remake. Still, the writer, director, and composer has set a precedent for his involvement in remakes of his films in the past, having served as a producer and even composer for David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy. StudioCanal has not commented on the remake.
Kurt Russell previously talked about the idea of a Escape from New York remake in an exclusive interview with MovieWeb back in April. He also talked about how many of his projects, whether they were with Carpenter or someone else, have been the topic of reboots.
“A lot of the things that I’ve done in my life, they’ve always talked about making sequels or redos on them, and they find out when they get close to doing it, it’s a little tougher than you think. So I’ve heard this before, and if they do it, great. We’ll see what happens, and good luck to them.”
When talking specifically about Escape From New York, the actor understood the fascination with doing another iteration, saying in the same interview that “They’ve talked about this ever since John and I did that movie, and Snake’s a great character.” Whether Russell’s own son, Wyatt Russell, ends up having any involvement in this upcoming remake remains to be seen.
Release Date
May 23, 1981
Lee Van Cleef
Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
Donald Pleasence
President of the United States