Director Zack Snyder has provided the first plot details for his anticipated remake of Escape From New York, indicating the film will be set in 1997 and that he may have already cast the iconic role of Snake Plissken. Snyder shared these insights during a conversation with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Snyder explained that the narrative will be framed "from the perspective of 1981," mirroring the original film's release date. The conflict central to the plot, a war between the US police force and criminal elements, is set to occur on July 9, 1981. The remainder of the story will unfold as per the classic tale.
When pressed about potential casting for Snake Plissken, Snyder cryptically responded, "I may." While he declined to confirm if it would be an actor he has previously collaborated with, he acknowledged the persistent interest of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor known for his work in Snyder's Watchmen and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Snyder joked that Morgan "literally has been hitting me up" for a role.
Snyder officially signed on to write and direct the remake in June, a project that has been in development for over two decades. The original 1981 film, directed by John Carpenter, starred Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, an ex-special forces soldier tasked with rescuing the President of the United States from Manhattan, which had been transformed into a maximum-security prison. The film was a commercial success and is widely regarded as an influential sci-fi cult classic.
Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell, has previously ruled himself out of taking on the role of Snake Plissken in any potential remake, stating in 2021 that he would not pursue such a role to avoid backlash from fans.