Zack Snyder is jumping from his recent space epics to a gritty dystopian future, signing on to write and direct a brand-new iteration of Escape from New York. The project will see the Watchmen and Justice League filmmaker breathe new life into the 1981 cult classic originally crafted by horror maestro John Carpenter.
Development of the film is swiftly moving forward following an initial reveal by rights-holders StudioCanal at CinemaCon. While specific plot points are being kept firmly under wraps, the production is specifically intended for a wide theatrical release.
The creative team brings together several key industry players. Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman are set to produce the film via The Picture Company’s comprehensive deal with StudioCanal. Snyder will also take on a producing role alongside long-time collaborators Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller through their Stone Quarry banner. Crucially for fans of the original, Carpenter himself will be involved as an executive producer, maintaining a creative link to the property he co-owns with the studio.
The 1981 original is still regarded as a masterclass in dystopian cinema. It famously introduced audiences to one of film’s greatest antiheroes: S.D. “Snake” Plissken, brought to life with a brilliant, cynical swagger by a young Kurt Russell. The thriller followed the disgraced Special Forces veteran as he was forced into a suicide mission: rescue the US President from a dystopian Manhattan that had been radically repurposed into a giant, anarchic prison colony.
Made on a shoestring budget of just $6 million, Carpenter’s original feature became a massive box-office triumph, pulling in over $50 million globally and eventually spawning the 1996 satirical follow-up, Escape from L.A.
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Getting back inside Snake Plissken’s dystopian Manhattan has proved notoriously difficult for Hollywood, which has spent nearly 20 years trying to revive the title. The project has passed through the hands of numerous heavy-hitting creatives over the decades, with filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez, Leigh Whannell, Radio Silence, and producer Joel Silver all attached at various points before their iterations ultimately stalled.
The announcement comes as Snyder wraps up post-production on his latest effort, The Last Photograph. That project, a grounded South American drama focusing on a retired DEA agent and a war photographer tracking down missing children, represents a brief departure from his signature blockbuster style. It also reunites him with actors Stuart Martin and Fra Fee, both veterans of his Rebel Moon universe.
For a reminder of where the dystopian franchise began, you can watch the original 1981 trailer for Escape from New York below.