Upgrade Director Leigh Whannell has booked his second big studio project in under a week.
Mere days after signing with Universal to write and direct The Invisible Man reboot with Blumhouse, the Saw writer will now tackle the long-in-development Escape From New York remake.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Whannell will write the script for the remake of John Carpenter’s 1980s cult classic. Sources tell the outlet that there is currently no deal in place for Leigh Whannell to direct the film; however, the studio is keeping the door open for the possibility.
The original 1981 film follows vigilante, anti-hero, and badass Snake Plissken (iconically portrayed then by the immortal Kurt Russell) who is tapped by the U.S. government to venture into the decaying remains of New York City, now sectioned off and serving as a supermax prison for the worst kind of criminals, to rescue the president’s daughter.
John Carpenter is executive producing and given his recent statements about sticking to scoring films, could possibly write the music (that last bit is pure speculation on my part).
THR also reports that one of Leigh 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.”
No release date or casting has been announced.
What do you think about Leigh Whannell taking on the remake for Escape From New York? And who would you like to see slap on the eye patch of Snake Plissken? Hit me up with your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below!
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