Escape From New York Is Getting Rebooted 45 Years Later - MCE Notices | California State Portal

After 45 years, one of John Carpenter’s most beloved cult classics is finally getting the reboot treatment. In April, it was officially revealed that a reimagining of 1981’s Escape from New York was in the works from StudioCanal.

Not much else is known about the project, other than that 300 and Watchmen director Zack Snyder has signed on to helm the project. No further details on the movie have been revealed, including production or release information; however, it has been said that it is being developed with the intention of a full-scale theatrical release.

The Escape from New York Reboot Is Real

Carpenter’s Escape from New York, which is often cited as one of the best dystopian sci-fi films ever, was released in theaters in 1981, though it’s set in a post-apocalyptic version of 1997. In this world, New York City’s Manhattan Island has been completely converted into a maximum security prison. The sci-fi action film starred Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, a federal prisoner who is given 24 hours to rescue the President of the United States after Air Force One is hijacked and crashed into the area. If successful, Snake will be given a full pardon.

Nick Castle, who played the masked Michael Myers in the original Halloween, co-wrote the script for Escape from New York with John Carpenter. Halloween franchise star Donald Pleasence also has a key role in the film as the U.S. President. The movie also stars Adrienne Barbeau, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, and Season Hubley.

The Escape from New York reboot will seemingly adapt many of these same elements for the modern day, once again focusing on Plissken in his conquest across the iron-clad New York-set prison. With director Zack Snyder at the helm, audiences can expect the core tenets of the original to make the jump over. Snyder is best known for his epic sci-fi and action filmmaking, making him a prime candidate to adapt Carpenter’s original vision for modern-day audiences.

Escape from New York Is a Sci-Fi Masterpiece

Image by AVCO Embassy Pictures

Escape from New York was a success, as it wound up earning $50 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $6 million. It holds an approval rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and has since become one of the most beloved cult classics of its era. The movie also spawned a franchise, which includes a direct sequel, 1996’s Escape from L.A., which reunited Carpenter and Russell. Tie-in comic books were also made to further expand the lore. The film has also been cited for its inspirations elsewhere in pop culture, notably with the Snake Plissken character heavily influencing the popular Metal Gear video game series hero, Solid Snake.

While there hasn’t been an official reboot made for Escape from New York in the past, a similar film, Lockout, was released by co-directors Stephen Saint Leger and James Mather in 2012. That film starred Guy Pearce as an inmate who’s offered freedom in exchange for rescuing the President’s daughter from an orbital prison in a dystopian future. Carpenter sued the filmmakers in France in 2015, alleging plagiarism, and the French court ultimately sided with the Halloween helmer. Both Carpenter and Castle were awarded damages along with StudioCanal.

A release date has not yet been set for the Escape from New York reboot.