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Luther Creator To Pen Escape From New York Remake

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neil Cross, the creator of BBC’s Luther crime series starring […]

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neil Cross, the creator of BBC’s Luther crime series starring Idris Elba, has been hired by 20th Century Fox to write the remake of John Carpenter’s 1981 cult classic Escape from New York.

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The original film was set in the future (then 1997) and involved Air Force One crashing into New York City, which is now an inescapable prison. The President of the United States survived the crash, but he was quickly taken hostage. The government turns to a reluctant Snake Plissken (played by Kurt Russell) to help them rescue The President. And to ensure Snake’s cooperation, he’s been injected with an explosive.

“The studio is aiming high with this one, hoping to relaunch the property as it did with its Planet of the Apes movie series, which became a critical and commercial hit,” THR adds. “Carpenter is creatively involved and is exec producing.”

In the past, Cross contributed his writing skills to the 2013 films: Mama and Pacific Rim.

Escape from New York (1981) – A thrilling landmark film that jolts along at a breakneck pace, Escape From New York leapt to cult status with high-octane action, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a mind-blowing vision of a lone warrior (Kurt Russell) battling his way out of a post-apocalyptic Manhattan! Hailed as “stylish and scary” (Los Angeles Times), “dark and dangerous” (Newsweek) and “gloriously…fun” (Tyler Morning Telegraph), this fast-paced and furiously entertaining thriller grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted to a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. But when the U.S. President (Donald Pleasence) crash-lands inside, only one man can bring him back: notorious outlaw and former Special Forces war hero Snake Plissken (Russell). But time is short: in 24 hours, an explosive device implanted in his neck will end Snake’s missionand his lifeunless he succeeds!