Remaking a film like Escape From New York isn’t necessarily the best idea, but if anyone’s going to be in charge of such a project, Robert Rodriguez would be right up there on our list of people we’d want to get behind the camera. Thankfully, it looks like that’s exactly what will happen, as The Tracking Board is reporting that the studio has their eye on him to direct. It’s not a done deal just yet, mind you, but 20th Century Fox is certainly hoping to lock him down.
With a screenplay from Luther creator Neil Cross, the Escape From New York remake has been brewing in development for quite a while now, so it’s certainly good to hear that it’s finally getting off the ground. From what we understand, the studio hopes to reinvent the franchise, like they’ve done with the Planet of the Apes, and early plot details point to this being more of a prequel than straight remake – which is probably the smarter approach.
Last we heard, the new Escape From New York will follow a younger Snake (Kurt Russell’s character from the original), back when he was just Colonel Robert “Snake” Plissken. As such, New York City won’t have been turned into a maximum security prison yet. Instead, it’s actually going to be “breathtakingly lovely” with some futuristic vibes, like drones flying around the city and AI that keeps a watch over everything. The main thrust of the plot, meanwhile, will come in the form of Snake being asked by the CIA to bring in Thomas Newton, a“charismatic playboy heir to an agrochemical and biotech corporation.” He’s wanted because he’s in possession of an important, mysterious device called the Fat Boy.
That’s all we know for now, but as mentioned above, Rodriguez is a solid pick, having displayed his knack for gritty action flicks many times in the past, while also paying homage to numerous old-school genre movies with most of his efforts. He really does seem like the perfect person to bring this property back to the big screen and though it’s not a sure thing just yet, we’re certainly hoping it works out.
Tell us, what do you think of Fox’s plan to revive Escape From New York? Will it turn out well? Or should they leave the original alone?