Details emerge for the new Escape From New York film

A remake for John Carpenter’s Escape from New York has been in the works for years. I think we first reported on it back in 2010. I do love the original film and Kurt Russell was brilliant as Snake Plissken.

Since then there have been various re-writes, different actors attached or rumoured to be playing Snake and it all generally seemed to be up in the air.

Then came word that Luther’s Neil Cross was writing a new script and Fox had the rights to get it going.

Carpenter is involved as an executive producer on the remake, with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman’s The Picture Company are also producing.

As for Snake, the most recent rumours had Charlie Hunnam, Jon Bernthal and Dan Stevens being considered for the role, but who knows if that is still the case.

However, The Wrap now have some details for the new version and it appears that it is going to be a prequel that sets up a trilogy leading in to the original film. Think something along the lines of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Oh, and New York City won’t be an actual prison.

Spoilers ahead.

Here are ten things about the film that they shared:

• Snake Plissken’s real name – Plissken in the previous two “Escape” films didn’t have a name, but now he does: He’s Colonel Robert “Snake” Plissken.
• Our bad guy won’t be the Duke of New York – Instead, he’s the lean, intensely charismatic Thomas Newton, the playboy heir to an agrochemical and biotech corporation. Five years ago, he decided to donate his entire fortune. Sounds like a good guy, right? He’s not.
• The role originated by Lee Van Cleef will now be played by a woman – The film will introduce us to CIA Deputy Executive Director Roberta Hauk.
• New York City isn’t a maximum security prison – Weird, right? Because New York being a prison was kind of crucial to the whole “escape from New York” concept. In the reboot, New York is breathtakingly lovely. Manhattan is the island we know, but with more towering glass structures and a high, undulating glass wall. The sky is alive with drones as serene as bees, and artificial intelligence controls all in the form of an ethnically ambiguous, cheery young woman called April. A small staff of technicians and researchers known as “Seers” monitor all.
• The remake doesn’t start in New York City – The original “Escape” film deleted the opening scene that showed how Snake Plissken was apprehended. The new version won’t. Its set in another major city, one not in the United States.
• The film imagines a world in chaos – Globally, one in every seventy five human begins is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum.
• A hurricane is coming – It’s called Superstorm Ellery.
• April’s security won’t be as good as everyone hoped – That will make the whole city vulnerable.
• Snake has only eleven hours to complete his mission – In the original film, he had 22 hours. Plissken’s mission is to bring in Newton alive.
• Newton has a failsafe – It’s a mysterious device called Fat Boy — an ominous, dull metal sphere about the size of a car, in a nest of conduits and cabling.

I am not really that sure how this works as a prequel if Snake is going in to New York to rescue someone. Unless this is going to be a series of films and after this one, NYC is destroyed by the Superstorm and is retasked as a prison which then sees Snake having to go in again to get the President out at a later date.

I always argue that I never have problem with remakes. The original is always there and the new film may be good. I am sure this will look great, but a lot is going to ride on who they get to portray Snake. I am not really feeling Charlie Hunnam, Jon Bernthal and Dan Stevens to take on the eye patch, but then I am not sure who would be the best choice.

I think I need to learn a lot more about the new take, before making my mind up.

What are your thoughts on the film and who would be your top pick to play a new Snake?