Zack Snyder Set to Direct New Reimagining of John Carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

After years of rumors, false starts, and various filmmakers circling the project, Escape From New York is finally moving forward again. This time, it's in the hands of Zack Snyder, who is set to write and direct a reimagining of John Carpenter’s iconic sci-fi action classic.

The news comes after StudioCanal officially announced the project at CinemaCon earlier this year, confirming that a new take on the beloved dystopian thriller is on the way. While story details are being kept under wraps for now, the film is being developed as a theatrical release and has some major names attached behind the scenes.

I’ve got to admit, this announcement gave me a good laugh because my wife and I actually spotted Snyder at a movie theater this past weekend. He was heading into a screening of Backrooms, and I remember thinking, “I wonder what he’s going to do next?” I didn’t have to wait long to find out!

The Picture Company’s Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman will produce through their overall deal with StudioCanal, which shares rights to the property with Carpenter. Snyder, Deborah Snyder, and Wesley Coller will also produce through Stone Quarry, with Carpenter serving as executive producer.

Escape From New York remains one of the most influential science-fiction action movies ever made. Released in 1981, it introduced audiences to S.D. “Snake” Plissken, played by Kurt Russell, a decorated Special Forces veteran turned convicted criminal.

In the film’s bleak future, Manhattan has been transformed into a giant maximum-security prison. When the President of the United States crash-lands inside the city walls, Snake is forced into a dangerous rescue mission with his own freedom hanging in the balance.

Made for just $6 million, the movie became a major success, earning more than $50 million worldwide and cementing Snake Plissken as one of cinema’s coolest antiheroes. The film's popularity eventually led to Carpenter and Russell reuniting for 1996’s Escape From L.A.

Hollywood has spent decades trying to revive the franchise. Over the years, filmmakers and producers including Joel Silver, Robert Rodriguez, Radio Silence, and Leigh Whannell have all been linked to various remake or reboot attempts, but none ever managed to get across the finish line.

Now Snyder gets his shot, and I’m lokking forward to seeing what he does with it. I can totally see Snyder deliver a really cool Escape From New York movie. Snyder has a distinct visual style and a knack for creating larger-than-life worlds. That makes him an intriguing choice for a property as gritty and visually unique as Escape From New York.

Snyder is currently in post-production on The Last Photograph, a drama centered on a former DEA operative and a war photographer searching for two missing children in South America. The project reunites him with Stuart Martin and Fra Fee, who previously starred in his Rebel Moon films for Netflix.

The big question now is whether Snyder will stay close to Carpenter’s original vision or take the concept in a completely new direction. Either way, this is one of the most high-profile attempts yet to bring Snake Plissken back to the big screen, and movie fans will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on how it develops.

As someone who grew up loving Carpenter’s original film, I’m curious to see what Snyder does with this world. If anyone is going to tackle a dystopian New York packed with criminals, chaos, and over-the-top action, he certainly has the filmmaking style to make it memorable.

Source: Deadline