INSIDIOUS Writer Leigh Whannell To Write and Possibly Direct The ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Remake
Leigh Whannell (Insidious, The Mule, Upgrade) has signed on to write the script for the remake of John Carpenter’s classic 80s film Escape From New York. According to THR, there is also a possibility that he could end up directing.
This new version of Escape From New York is said to have a “new vision” and it “will retain elements of the original but bring new ideas to the table. One of Whannell's goals is to avoid the bloated tentpole remake path that afflicted the reboots of other 1980s-era movies such as Robocop and Total Recall.”
At least he knows what not to do when remaking the film! Personally, I don’t think Escape From New York needs to be remade at all. But, if it is going to get remade anyway, they might as well do it in a way that will cater to the fans as well as a new generation of audiences.
The original movie was set in a futuristic 1997. Kurt Russell starred in the film as Snake Plissken, a badass former special forces operative and con who is conscripted to rescue the President of the United States after Air Force One crashes in New York, which has been transformed into a maximum security prison. Plissken is given 22 hours to liberate the president and a tape he carries that holds the key to peace. If he doesn't pull it off... he'll explode.
Whannell also recently signed on to write and direct The Invisible Man for Universal.
What are your thoughts on Escape From New York getting the remake treatment?
