‘Saw’ and ‘Insidious’ Co-Creator Reportedly Writing ‘Escape From New York’ Reboot

Talks of an Escape from New York reboot have circulated for years, with a new report claiming that Saw and Insidious co-creator Leigh Whannell has signed on to write the remake. The Hollywood Reporter also notes that Whannell could potentially direct the film, of which original director John Carpenter will serve as an executive producer.

The outlet claims Whannell is “kickstarting Escape with a new vision for the project that sources say will retain elements of the original but bring new ideas to the table. One of Whannell’s goals is to avoid the bloated tentpole remake path that afflicted the reboots of other 1980s-era movies such as Robocop and Total Recall.”

The original 1981 film depicted a dystopian 1997 world in which the entire island of Manhattan had been turned into a prison community. When the president’s plane crashes on the island, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is sent into the dangerous community to recover the politician alive. The film earned a sequel in 1996, Escape from L.A., which followed a similar premise and brought Carpenter and Russell back together.

Whannell earned fans thanks to his straightforward horror films, though last year’s Upgrade demonstrated the filmmaker’s abilities in the world of sci-fi and action. That film saw a paralyzed man (Logan Marshall-Green) undergoing an experimental procedure to not only make use of his limbs, but granted him superhuman speed and agility to seek vengeance for his murdered wife.

This is only the latest high-profile project Whannell scored this week, as it was confirmed that he would be directing a new incarnation of The Invisible Man.

Earlier this year, co-writer of the original film, Nick Castle, weighed in on his interest in a potential reboot.

“You know, I keep hearing this and that actor is gonna get involved and this production company,” Castle shared with ComicBook.com. “I just sit back and hopefully the checks will come in. We’ll see. Of course, I would hope that John is involved somehow so that it has his signature, ’cause I like it when companies and filmmakers that are using the material have a certain respect for where it came from.”

Last year saw Carpenter return to the Halloween franchise to serve as an executive producer, with that film becoming one of the biggest horror hits of the year. Carpenter’s involvement in a new Escape from New York could similarly help keep the project on track in ways that both honor the original while breaking new ground.

Stay tuned for details on the Escape from New York reboot.

Are you excited by this news? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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