With the remake of Escape From New York starting to take shape, all eyes are now turning to who will be cast in the lead role of Snake Plissken. Many names have been tossed into the pot and today, we’re hearing that two frontrunners have emerged in the form of Jason Statham and Tom Hardy.
Back when the project was set up at New Line, Gerard Butler and Jeremy Renner were the two men wanted for the lead role. Now, with the project at Studio Canal, things have changed and Hardy and Statham are currently duking it out for the part.
“Jason is the type of actor who has the physical attributes and screen presence to reprise Snake,” said a Hollywood insider close to the film’s producers. “He has a proven track record as a leading man and would do a great job. And Tom, he was immense in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and deserves to get a break in a top role. This could put him firmly in the A-list.”
Apparently, the studio wants to cast the role before the summer, so we should hear more on this soon. We already know that the plan is to turn the film into a trilogy, with the first entry being an origin story. We’ve also heard that Liam Neeson may be in contention for the role of Snake. So what we’re thinking is, likely Statham or Hardy will take on the role in the origin story and then maybe Neeson will play the part for the next two films. Or maybe not? Who knows, it’s too early at this point to make any concrete assumptions.
Either way, let us know in the comments what you think of all this. Who do you want to see star in the Escape From New York remake? Jason Statham or Tom Hardy?