Zack Snyder finds his next big remake

Filmmaker Zack Snyder is embarking on a new project, planning to write and direct a remake of John Carpenter's iconic 1981 action film, "Escape from New York." This move comes two decades after Snyder helmed a remake of George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead."

In contrast to Snyder's recent direct-to-streaming releases like "Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire" and "Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver," the new "Escape from New York" is slated for a broad theatrical distribution. The project appears to be in its nascent stages, with reports indicating it will be offered to studios and distributors in the coming weeks. John Carpenter himself is expected to serve as an executive producer.

This is not the first attempt to remake "Escape from New York," as several efforts have been made since 2015. However, Snyder's creative involvement significantly increases the likelihood of the project moving forward. The original film, set in a dystopian 1997, depicted Manhattan as a maximum-security prison following a surge in crime. The plot centered on the rescue of the U.S. President after his plane crashed into the island.

Kurt Russell's portrayal of the anti-hero Snake Plissken in the original film, and its 1996 sequel "Escape from L.A.," served as a major inspiration for Solid Snake, the one-eyed protagonist of the "Metal Gear" video game series. Carpenter has previously shared that the script for "Escape from New York" was written in the mid-1970s, influenced by the cynicism following the Watergate scandal, though studios were initially hesitant due to its dark portrayal of the presidency.

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There was a real cynicism in the whole country about the president. I wrote the script, but no studio wanted to make it. They all said, 'We've criticized the president enough. We can't have a movie like this.'