LATEST NEWS
Writer Allan Loeb Reignites the Escape from New York Remake
by Ethan Anderton
February 10, 2010
Source: Vulture
Back in 2007, you might remember hearing about an Escape from New York remake with Gerard Butler playing Snake Plissken and Len Wiseman set to direct. Then some cages were rattled when rumors of Brett Ratner taking over the production started swirling until he later denied any involvement, then suddenly Butler dropped from the film due to "creative differences." Now a creative difference has given new life to the remake as Vulture reports that writer Allan Loeb (who saved Wall Street 2 from development hell) has written a script that not only is loyal to Snake Plissken as a hard-ass, but to studios for making it cheaper.
Essentially two tasks were found to be the most difficult in getting the remake made. It seemed no one could write for Snake Plissken without making it all hokey and campy, and the prospect of turning Manhattan into a giant prison was expensive. So they brought on Loeb to rewrite the script and he was what they needed.
"Loeb nailed the humor in Plissken without slipping into camp, and he changed Snake’s rescue-mission target from a president to a female senator, thereby upping the banter quotient. But just as big a factor was economic: They found a much cheaper way to turn Manhattan into a giant prison."
Rather than making Manhattan look completely destroyed and desolate, Loeb took a route similar to I Am Legend's treatment of NYC and simply evacuated it due to the fallout of a crude radioactive dirty bomb on the outskirts of the city. Now Snake (who has yet to be cast) will be dropped into a city that is intact, but has been turned into a huge prison (still run out of The Statue of Liberty, but this time by a security company). One of the film's insiders said, "it is not a disaster movie. It is an exposé of an ecosystem, if you put a huge wall around Manhattan and then dropped in the most fucked-up, dangerous criminals on Earth."
But this seems like a reasonably easy fix in the script as opposed to the hilarious contractual obligations New Line had to agree to from John Carpenter. In the contract, the character, originally portrayed by Kurt Russell, had to meet the stipulations to only be called Snake, always wear an eye patch, and, no joke, "always be a 'bad-ass." Fortunately, it sounds like Loeb came through on the bad-ass part of the script. As unnecessary as this remake is (Carpenter's film is still solid as a rock) maybe Loeb will do it justice. Now if only New Line can find a director to do the same, and more importantly, find someone as hardcore as Kurt Russell to step into Snake Plissken's boots.So who's bad-ass enough to be the new Snake Plissken?
35 Comments
1
I've got a better idea....LETS ALL PLAY SOME POKEMON AND EAT JELLO PUDDING!
Bill Cosby on Feb 10, 2010
2
Tough one. There aren't many hard-asses out there but I'm pretty sure someone can do it. Gerard Butler doesn't sound bad but who knows.
Rico on Feb 10, 2010
3
IN 3D
Al on Feb 10, 2010
4
tom cruise would be a kool choice to play snake
Spider94 on Feb 10, 2010
5
$100 they chase Sam Worthington for the lead.
JoJo on Feb 10, 2010
6
Javier Bardem or Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Orcasisla on Feb 10, 2010
8
Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken. John Carpenter movies ARE camp; that's what makes them so enjoyable. new escape from new york is already fail. why don't they just get kurt russell now and pretend snake got really old and have Escape from Vatican City and he has to rescue the pope. that's the snake i know and love.
Emerson on Feb 10, 2010
9
I'm with #8.
Frightened Inmate #2 on Feb 10, 2010
10
yeah, number 8 is right, but i also agree with the idea of jeffery Dean Morgan.
Al on Feb 10, 2010
11
I think it should be Zac Efron or James Van Der Beek would be good. Cause they are bad ass dudes. Jokes aside, Snake isn't a big guy, he doesn't looks like a regular army type character, all meat and no brain. Who will do the sound track is just as important, the original soundtrack is super good.
Crapola on Feb 10, 2010
12
Now here is another one that just doesnt make any sense. The story has been done, everybody liked it, and to re-tell it is pointless. I just dont get it. Why not take the money and talent and do something new???
Fuckola on Feb 10, 2010
13
SOMEBODY PUT A BULLET IN #4 PLEASE!!
GIGERBRICK on Feb 10, 2010
14
#13, I second that.
t on Feb 10, 2010
15
There were rumors years ago that Carpenter had some ideas on making another Escape movie starring Kurt Russel. it was to be titled Escape From Earth, or something like that. It sounds like it would have been a lot of fun had he ever actually done it.
Mega Jet Jaguar on Feb 10, 2010
16
I think the only possible way this could work is to go fuck all the bullshit John Woo wanna be 300,Terminator Salvation like set pieces and go low tech like Road Warrior,Mad Max,Children of Men,FIRST BLOOD ESPECIALLY. MAKE it more like a western. I am tired of the slow mo wannabe John Woo's with a Rock track in the fucking background. There's only one John Woo and one Zach Snyder.
roke on Feb 10, 2010
17
Needs to be an American. Timothy Olyphant
Kong on Feb 10, 2010
18
So I take it 2010 is the year of the remake.. =(
JimD on Feb 10, 2010
19
Dear Hollywood, Why do you contnue to destroy my favorite movies with shitty remakes? Only one Snake Plissken in my book and it's Kurt Russel! Why dont you fucktards come up with an original idea and stop fucking up movies i love so much. I hate you Hollywood! I hate you!!
xaudioprox on Feb 10, 2010
20
Yeah, #17! Olyphant's a good choice; I'm thinkin' Jason Patric could be great in it, too.
Orcasisla on Feb 11, 2010
21
Tom Cruise? Eh, no. If you want Tom wait for MI:4 Whether its Russell or Buttler it should not be a remake but another chapter/sequal For me I'd prefer Kurt any day
Ross on Feb 11, 2010
22
Agree with #19!...but if they ARE doing a remake, what about putting Nicholas Cage as Plissken? Picture him in Plissken style: laidback, long haired, unshaved and just don't give a fuck as long as he fulfills his mission 😉 And I also guess that Lee van Cleef not will be in this? (Was he in the second movie?, can't remember, I saw it only one time)
Rob on Feb 11, 2010
23
#22 thank you, you've just cheered me up no end with that. Very funny. and poor Mr Cleef died in 1989 if I remember correctly.
Dr Phaust on Feb 11, 2010
24
#23 No problemo 🙂 About Mr Cleef: bummer!, sorry, I actually didn't know 🙁
Rob on Feb 11, 2010
25
Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken. John Carpenter is the only man to do ANY Escape film. A remake is pointless. Thank you. HH
Have Hope on Feb 11, 2010
26
# 22!!! Enough....STOP IT!!!!!!! YOUR INSANE!!!! Putting the Hack that is Cage in a role like Snake is like putting Seth Rogen in a film about the Green Hornet. Some characters are sacred for Christ's sake! Oh yea........I forgot.
Clover on Feb 11, 2010
27
What about Channing Tatum?
Pablo on Feb 11, 2010
28
Jason Statham, or Vinnie Jones
Chris on Feb 11, 2010
29
27 - What about Channing Tatum? Please don't ever become a casting director, people like you are why we get to see the same shitty actors in every movie. How about they not remake this movie until Kurt Russell is dead, so I don't have to wonder why they took a perfect character portrayal and "rebooted" it.
Fatal Error on Feb 11, 2010
30
#29 - Wow, why all the hostility dude? This is a touchy subject for you. Maybe you should try decaf. Okay, since they ARE going to remake it and the subject of this post is "So who's bad-ass enough to be the new Snake Plissken?" who do you suggest?
Pablo on Feb 11, 2010
31
Jason Statham, Christian Bale, Gerard Butler
WB Exec on Feb 11, 2010
32
More importantly; who's going to fill Ernest Borgnine's shoes as 'Cabbie'? Possibly Jake Gyllenhaal as Snake? http://www.filmwad.com/fw_images/2008/08/12/jake-gyllenhaal-prince-of-02.jpg
twittwit on Feb 11, 2010
33
Vin Diesel as snake.
Josh on Feb 14, 2010
34
someone needs to make an "Escape from the fucking remakes" movie..wayans perhaps? Shia lebouf as snake pliskin! "I thought you were dead" snake (IN HIS BEST JERRY LEWIS IMPERSONATION) "gwwwaaahh..hey lady!" give me a break.. escape from LA was bad enough!
lando on Feb 15, 2010
35
If you are going to recast Snake then make a pre-qual. Remakes are stupid. Is it that hard to come up with new material. A pre-qual let's you recast and gives you more creative play room.
Coffin_maker_1982 on May 27, 2011
New comments are no longer allowed on this post.
FEATURED POSTS
FOLLOW FS HERE
Follow Alex's main account on Twitter:
Add our posts to your Feedly › click here
Get all the news sent on Telegram 
LATEST TO WATCH