A reboot, whether it be a sequel or a full re-imagining of John Carpenter’s 1981 sci-fi action cult classic, Escape from New York, has been in development hell for ages, but it’s just been announced as finally happening. The directing team, Radio Silence (V/H/S, Southbound, Scream), made up of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella, has been tapped by 20th Century Studios with the attached to direct the project. Hence, speculation is rampant about this new incarnation of the adventures of Snake Plissken.
That would be the series’ rough and ragged protagonist, Lieutenant S.D. “Snake” Plissken, who has only been portrayed by Kurt Russell in the first film, and its 1996 follow-up, Escape from L.A. The re-casting of Plisken has long been an issue as Russell is so identified as the role – “I didn’t play Snake Plissken, I created him,” he told Entertainment Weekly – but an agreeable fix, proposed by Carpenter, who is set to executive produce, has been to estate the original Snake’s son, Wyatt Russell as Plissken, and with his father possibly involved in a crucial sideline role.
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But apart from the pivotal casting of the iconic lead, a reboot of Escape from New York would have a number of elements to conquer in order to re-establish the franchise. The premise set by the first two entries concerned the crime-ridden landscape of America in the dire dystopian future, in which NYC and Los Angeles have been entirely converted into maximum-security prisons. An update should powerfully take the opportunity to comment on the current crime conditions of our modern day, with more of a focus on the divisions of our current culture.
The Dystopian Future Should Be Further Presented in the Franchise
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While the original was written by Carpenter as a reaction to the Watergate scandal and the scary political climate of the ‘70s, a new effort has a lot more to contend with in terms of the sinister threats to the progress of humankind. While the first one was a very dark thriller, the L.A. set sequel got somewhat goofy and sunnier in its approach, so it seems apparent that the third in the trilogy should get back to basics and restore the violent edge that defined Plissken’s debut.
The cast surrounding Russell’s Plissken is important to consider as well as the ensembles that made up Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. contained such notable names as Ernest Borgnine, Adrienne Barbeau, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, and Pam Grier. As a fair amount of those former cast members are still with us, it could be a great linking device to have certain players return.
The Look and Feel of the Original Escape from New York Should Be Paid Tribute
One of the most impactful and memorable aesthetics of the original was its B-movie sets and special effects, which despite the four decades that have passed, still give the film a grimy authenticity. A course to consider for the filmmakers of Radio Silence is to not rely on CGI so much and go for models and practical effects to make up the Plissken-verse and tie the film into the first film’s look and feel.
This brings us back to Russell, as it hasn’t been set for his or his son’s involvement in the highly anticipated reboot or sequel. The word is that a screenplay hasn’t even been submitted and that nobody in the cast has been confirmed yet, so we don’t have much to go on at this point, but it’s telling that Carpenter discussed Wyatt’s possible casting with ComicBook, saying:
Here’s hoping Russell and/or his offspring will be represented because the franchise still has major potential. Even after forty years, Carpenter’s ominous take on America’s spiraling into lawlessness remains a high-stirring concept that could have significant juice at the box office and streaming despite its abundant like-minded dystopian competition.
Via the Radio Silence production, 20th Century Fox is looking to add the Escape from New York franchise to its recent relaunches of the Scream and Predator series. Along with another Alien entry, reportedly entitled Alien Romulus, a new Snake Plissken adventure could effectively strengthen the studios’ plans to keep lucrative, retro-popular fan-favorite franchises afloat for a long time.
As this goes to press, the most recent word is that the new film will likely not be a remake but a Halloween (2018)-style reboot/continuation, which makes sense as Carpenter is executive producing as he did on those recent horror sequels. If that is indeed the case, that bodes well for the return of Russell and the original’s darker vibe.
