"I heard you were dead." This enduring line from co-writer/director John Carpenter's Escape From New York nicely sums up the long in-the-works remake of the 1981 cult classic film. But, like its tough-as-nails anti-hero, Snake Plissken, the potential reboot keeps getting back up just when fans of the franchise think it might be down for the count. True to form, the project is moving forward with some force now that Fox has purchased the rights to remake the Kurt Russell-starring sci-fi action film, with Carpenter offering creative input on the new take.
According to Deadline, Fox came out on top in a competitive purchasing scramble for the rights to remake Escape From New York. The studio is looking to reboot the cult classic and potentially expand the property into a multi-film series. Fans of the original Escape From New York can take solace in the fact that John Carpenter will executive produce the reboot, bringing his unique creativity to the table. The Picture Company is also producing the project, with Fox's Mike Ireland overseeing the remake's development.
Although both Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim, Sons of Anarchy) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor: The Dark World, The Cabin in the Woods) were rumored at one point to star as the legendary Snake Plissken, neither has been confirmed for the lead role, leaving the large boots of the eye-patch wearing, ex-special forces soldier to be filled. Still in the early stages of development, no writer or director is attached to the remake yet, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on further developments. In the meantime, you can check out our coverage of Scream Factory's upcoming two-disc Escape From New York Collector's Edition Blu-ray:
For those unfamiliar with Escape From New York, we have the synopsis and trailer for the film, which boasts a star-studded cast including Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Adrienne Barbeau, Harry Dean Stanton, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, and Tom Atkins:
"In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a prison which houses the world's most brutal inmates. And when the President of the United States crash lands inside, only one man can bring him back: Snake Plissken, a notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero who, in exchange for a full pardon, descends into the decayed city and wages a blistering war against the captors. But time is short: in 24 hours, an explosive charge planted inside Snake's body will end the mission -- and his life -- unless he succeeds."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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