NO! Escape From New York Remake

[criterionmaster]

Butler to Escape From New York
Source: Variety
March 13, 2007

300 star Gerard Butler is lined-up to star in a remake of John Carpenter's Escape From New York from 1981, reports Variety.

Neal Moritz is attached to produce, with Black Hawk Downscreenwriter Ken Nolan penning the screenplay.

Butler would play Snake Plissken, the one-eyed convict who's charged with heading into the inescapable maximum security prison formerly known as Manhattan to liberate the U.S. president.

Kurt Russell originated the role and reprised it in the 1996 sequel Escape from L.A.

[captainofbeef]

Does Hollywood have any dignity left?

[PTAhole]

Oh, christ. Escape from New York is absolutely brilliant! Why? Why? WHY?!

[kiddo]

I'm so sick of remakes already, so I've already decided to go into this project with a positive attitude. I love Carpenters' original, and I really don't care wheater they make a crappy remake. There is this tiny, little prpbability that this remake is gonna kick ass, though, and since I'm a sucker for these kind of settings, I hope, hope, hope that this will have some good in it.

[Clark Nova]

captainofbeef said:

Does Hollywood have any dignity left?

no.

[criterionmaster]

I wish I was like Kiddo and could look at this in SOME positive way, but I am just so fucking sick of all this shit. What is the fucking point of remaking classic films, besides money? They RARELY turn out good, and this being one of my favorite cult films it angers me even more. Not everyone thinks this is a good film, but those that do, love it, hence it being a cult film, it holds a special place. God, what the fuck? I wouldn't be surprised if they go back a finish Carpenter’s whole entire early catalogue of films. There are so few left to do. And if this does good, you know we will be seeing L.A.

[criterionmaster]

New Line plotting Butler 'Escape' 'Escape' plan for New Line
By DAVE MCNARY

New Line has won the bidding war for a remake of "Escape From New York," with "300" star Gerard Butler attached and Neal Moritz producing through his Original Films banner.
Minimajor closed the deal Thursday, three days after CAA began shopping the package to studios in the wake of Butler's emergence as a rising star, thanks to last weekend's boffo launch of "300" (Daily Variety, March 13).

"Black Hawk Down" scribe Ken Nolan is attached to pen the script. Exec producers include Original's Ori Marmur; Ron Halpern and Frederic Sichler of Canal Plus, which held the remake rights; and John Carpenter, who directed the original 1981 "Escape From New York."

Butler would portray Snake Plissken, the convict and war hero who's sent into a futuristic New York City -- which has been turned into a giant maximum security prison -- to rescue the president of the U.S. after his plane is knocked down by terrorists. The original was set in 1998.

Kurt Russell played Plissken in the original pic and again in Carpenter's 1996 sequel "Escape From Los Angeles."

Moritz is a producer on "Click," "The Fast and the Furious," "Evan Almighty," "I Am Legend" and "Maid of Honor," which is due to go into production next month.
________________________________________________________________
Oh God, Fast and the Furious and Click!!!

[criterionmaster]

This is an interesting article right here, I wanted to know what Carpenter had to say when I heard about this, I thought he would be pissed, but I guess he is happy to get some free money haha.

RUSSELL & CARPENTER on SNAKE
from Dark Horizons

Various people have been vocal about the casting of Gerard Butler as Snake Plissken in the upcominig "Escape from New York" remake, and now the original star has weighed in.

Talking with Entertainment Weekly, actor Kurt Russell had some less than flattering things to say about Butler's casting - and the remake in general.

"When I was told who was going to play Snake Plissken, my initial reaction was ''Oh, man!'' [Russell winces]. I do think that character was quintessentially one thing. And that is, American...He's a fascinating character. In fact, he's the most complex character I've ever played" says Russell.

So no chance of a cameo by Russell? "F--- that! I am Snake Plissken! It's like Sean Connery always watching someone else do their version of Bond."

Meanwhile the original's writer/director John Carpenter tells Suicide Girls that the film looks to be more of a prequel than the original - "I don’t know that it’s a remake. I think it’s a lot about Snake before he gets to New York" says Carpenter.

The director is also perfectly candid about his involvement - "My main involvement is I read the scripts and make sure the character is the same character that we wrote originally. I think that would be cool. My other main involvement in this project is to extend my hand and have a check placed in it...After 30 odd years of being in the f**k business, it’s nice to not have to do anything and get paid."

[PTAhole]

That "Fuck that! I am Snake Plissken!" quote is great.

[slapshot63]

ptahole said:

Oh, christ. Escape from New York is absolutely brilliant! Why? Why? WHY?!

That pretty much sums it up.

[criterionmaster]

Len Wiseman will be directing.

1. Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
2. Underworld: Evolution (2006)
3. Underworld (2003)

www.aintitcool.com/node/33563

thoughts?

[captainofbeef]

Live Free or Die Hard was a fun action movie, the Underworld's suck. Escape From new York should be remade by no one at all. Period, end of story.