Robert Rodriguez is currently in the midst of putting together the epic sci-fi adaptation Alita: Battle Angel, but it seems that he's taken some time out of his schedule to negotiate work on his next big project. It seems that 20th Century Fox is handing the filmmaker the keys to the remake of Escape From New York, the John Carpenter classic that introduced us to the legendary Kurt Russell character Snake Plissken.
Deadline is reporting the news that the helmer of both the El Mariachi and Spy Kids trilogies is now set to craft his own vision of Escape From New York. Fox got the rights to remake the film all the way back in October 2015, and Luther creator Neil Cross was hired to pen the screenplay. With the exception of Alita: Battle Angel, Robert Rodriguez has previously only directed from scripts that he's written himself, so it will be interesting to see if he winds up penning his own version of the story. One interesting detail that the report adds says "hope is to reinvent the property with an eye toward launching a Planet Of The Apes-like franchise."
The original Escape From New York, which was released in 1981, is set in the year 1997 and finds the world on the brink of World War III. The plot kicks off when Air Force One, carrying the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence), crash lands in the middle of Manhattan - which has entirely been converted into a walled-off prison. In an attempt to rescue the world leader, the government turns to the eyepatch-sporting ex-con Snake Plissken, who they hire to go into New York City and rescue the president. It is far too early to know how this new version of the film will change that narrative.
For whatever reason, Hollywood has been doing everything it can to try and make an Escape From New York remake for more than a decade now. At one point there was talk of The Crazies director Breck Eisner taking the helm, and there is an incredibly long list of actors previously rumored to take over the part of Snake Plissken - including Gerard Butler, Jeremy Renner, Jason Statham, and Tom Hardy. At this time we are probably a long way away from the casting stage, but that's not going to stop the rumor mill from starting to churn out possible candidates for what will surely be a highly sought-after role.
Alita: Battle Angel started production back in late 2016 and has a long road ahead of it before its release in July of 2018. As a result, it may be a minute before we hear any more concrete details about the development of this project. For now, what do you think of Robert Rodriguez taking the wheel on Escape From New York? Do you think he's the right person for the job, or is there another filmmaker who you think is missing out on the opportunity? Who do you think should be the next actor to take on the part of Snake Plissken? Leave all your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in the comments section below!
