Director Zack Snyder has discussed the first plot details for his upcoming Escape from New York remake, revealing when the movie will be set and the fact that he may already have someone lined up to star as Snake Plissken. Snyder’s comments came via a conversation with Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Snyder is showcasing his new film The Last Photograph.
“The approach is… the movie’s going to be set in ’97… from the perspective of 1981,” said Snyder. “The war between the United States police force and… the criminal elements takes place, I think, July 9th, 1981 – which is the release date of the original movie. And then the rest is pretty much Escape from New York.”
After explaining his love of the original film, which is also set in 1997 and he regards as “the perfect combination of kitsch and camp,” Snyder was pressed whether he already has his Snake Plissken.
“I may,” he replied cryptically.
Snyder would not be drawn on whether it’s an actor he’s worked with previously, but he did confirm Watchmen and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s claims he’s been badgering Snyder for a role in the project.
“He literally has been hitting me up,” said Snyder, joking he doesn’t need to send him an audition tape. “No, he’s the best; I love him.”
It was reported back in June that the 300 and Man of Steel director had signed on to write and direct the long-gestating remake.
The original Escape from New York, directed by filmmaking icon John Carpenter (who also co-wrote the script and worked on the score), stars Kurt Russell as Snake, an ex-special forces soldier forced into a 24-hour mission to rescue the President of the United States. Snake must infiltrate Manhattan, which has been converted into a sprawling maximum security prison, and get out again before the explosives implanted into his body go off.
The film was a critical and commercial hit, and has carved out a well-deserved reputation as an influential sci-fi cult classic. A remake of the film has been bouncing around for over two decades, but appears now to be finally gathering momentum, with StudioCanal indicating it was moving full speed ahead on the project in April this year.
Whoever steps up to be Snake, just don’t expect Kurt Russell’s son to be the one taking on the role, with Wyatt Russell ruling that out back in 2021.
“If I really wanted to get people sending me hate mail, I think that’s what I should do,” said the Thunderbolts* star. “I will not be ever doing anything like that.”
Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.
