Remake of Escape from New York is Back on Track
The other day Deadline.com reported that Fox Studios emerged from competitive bidding and locked down the deal to remake John Carptenter’s 1981 cult classic ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. I’m sure I don’t need to recap, but for the younger readers out there, here’s a plot summary for ya:
Kurt Russell played Snake Plissken, an eyepatch-wearing badass who is offered a deal: Either spend the rest of his life in prison or rescue the president of the United States after Air Force One crashed in New York (as it was headed to a summit that could head off WWIII). The problem is that New York is now one huge maximum security prison where the prisoners run free. Plissken, a former special forces operative convicted of trying to rob the Federal Reserve, is given 22 hours to liberate the president and a tape he carries which holds the key to peace. If he fails, he’s wired to explode.
The original, in a word, kicked some major ass and redefined what the modern day action movie could be. What’s so great about it is how cynical and depressing a view of the future it is. Carpenter wrote the script for it after the Watergate scandal. According to Deadline:
While there was a spate of rumors earlier this fall that the film was about to be cast with the likes of SONS OF ANARCHY star Charlie Hunnam, I’m told those rumors amounted to wishful thinking by fans, because there was no rights deal made until now, and there is no script. They are starting from scratch. That said, the notion of Hunnam playing the Snake, or Chris Hemsworth who was another one rumored, seems like pretty inspired ideas from here.
The best news yet for diehard fans of the original is that John Carpenter will be acting as executive producer and will get to have creative influence on the project. How much influence is anyone’s guess but at least they’re incorporating Carpenter into the production.
What do you think? Is this a film that needs a remake or should they leave perfection alone?
Stay Bloody!!!
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It will have to be one hell of a script and good actors with R rating for a remake to work with this film. The remake of “Total Recall” was extremely lame.
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The TOTAL RECALL remake completely shit the bed. It was a disaster. If they keep the same story in the ESCAOE FROM NEW YORK remake & just update the technology & put in some modern day political undertones, I think this one could work. But really it all comes down to the actor they hire to play Snake. And Russell definitely needs to make a cameo!!!
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