Those who were against a remake of Escape From New York can rest easy — at least for the time being.
Deadline reports that both New Line, who has been trying to get an updated version of the film made for years now, and Warner Brothers have let the option for the film lapse. While this closes the door on the property as far as these two studios are concerned, it also opens one up for any other party that may be interested in picking up the rights and seeing what they can do with the project.
The Pulse: With directors such as Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) and Breck Eisner (The Crazies) all circling the project at one point or another, it’s rather surprising that the studios would let this property slip away. I may be in the minority here, but I believe that Escape From New York is a film that could benefit from a solid new foundation, as the original — while considered a classic by many — is lacking certain pivotal elements as far as suspense and action go.
The character Snake Plissken (played by Kurt Russell) is the highlight of the film and without a doubt the movie’s strongest selling point. The idea behind Escape From New York is a great one and Snake is without a doubt one of the coolest characters ever created. With the proper take on the story and the right actor attached (read: Timothy Olyphant) this could easily turn into a hot franchise. Of course, it seems for the time being that New Line and Warner Brothers must know something we don’t about how hard it is to get this thing going.
Do you guys think that Escape From New York should be left in the past? Were you looking forward to a remake, or do you think a remake could have done the film justice? Do you hope another studio options the rights? Sound off below!
