Jason Statham And Tom Hardy Wanted For The Escape From New York Remake?

Let the casting rumors begin!

Early last week we learned that the long in-development remake of John Carpenter's Escape From New York is once again trying to put it's pieces together, with producer Joel Silver and Studio Canal heading the project, so it was only a matter of time before we started hearing names suggested for the lead role of Snake Plissken. A few years ago we heard names like Gerard Butler and Timothy Olyphant up for the character, made legendary by Kurt Russell in the original, but now there's talk that two of today's biggest action stars are up for the part.

The New York Daily News is reporting (so take this with a grain of salt) that the production is now looking at possibly casting either Jason Statham or Tom Hardy in the remake, which doesn't currently have a director. According to the paper's source, described as a Hollywood insider close to the film’s producers, the studio believes that Statham "has the physical attributes and screen presence to reprise Snake" in addition to a positive track record as a leading man, while Hardy's turn in The Dark Knight Rises was impressive enough to get consideration. While it remains unclear as to when production on the film might actually start, the rumor says that they are looking to lock up their star before the end of summer.

Both actors do have some remake experience, with Statham previously taking on the Charles Bronson role in 2011's The Mechanic, while Hardy will soon be seen stepping into Mel Gibson's shoes for George Miller's upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road. While it's possible that the studio is interested in getting either star for the Plissken part, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that the actors are.

But what do you think? If the Escape From New York remake has to happen, who would you like to see play the lead role? Answer our poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.