As much as you (or Kurt Russell) may vehemently dislike the fact that an ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK reboot is in the works, it looks like it may happen sooner or later (although at this rate, it looks like the latter). Last we heard the film was actually inspired by the fantastic Arkham games, the second of which features a walled-in prison-like city. While Plissken will always be the lead, they may be going for a bit more of a team effort this time around.
Starlog lists the team as such:
Plissken’s team consists of Mina, a warzone journalist framed for murder and living in the shadows of New York as a scavenger; Cabbie, a schizophrenic travel guide who serves as comic relief; Gareth, the last surviving member of the President’s security detail who harbors a dangerous secret; and The Brain, Plissken’s former partner-in-crime who left him to die after a botched robbery.
This brings us to the main man himself, Snake Plissken. While no one has signed anything yet, word is that offers are going to be extended to the following three actors: Charlie Hunnam (PACIFIC RIM, Sons of Anarchy), Jon Bernthal (THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, The Walking Dead) and Dan Stevens (THE GUEST, Downton Abbey).
Inherently, I’m never against the idea of a remake/re-imagining/re-boot, but it all comes down to whether or not the filmmakers are able or willing to try something different. Even though I wasn’t a fan of Zack Snyder‘s DAWN OF THE DEAD, it was a different beast than its George Romero counterpart. None of these actors are Kurt Russell, and that’s fine as maybe they can bring something different to the table. I feel who they choose as a director will really go a log way in telling us whether or not this is another cash grab.