Zack Snyder Officially Remaking One of the Best ’80s Sci-Fi Movies (And His Plan Is Perfect)

One of the greatest movies of the 1980s is officially set for a remake by Zack Snyder. It’s something of a full-circle moment for the director, whose directorial debut was a remake of Dawn of the Dead back in 2004. It’s also a very different project from his next release, the long-gestating The Last Photograph, which is something of a passion project and has taken a decade to make it to the big screen. Beyond that, Snyder’s slate is a little unclear with his Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon projects going quiet. If they’ve moved aside for this remake, though, it’s a fair trade.

According to THR, Snyder is remaking Escape From New York, the classic action sci-fi that originally starred Kurt Russell as the instantly iconic Snake Plissken. He will write and direct, and also produce, alongside Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller. Carpenter is serving as executive producer. The report claims Snyder intends to make a “more down and dirty movie, using plenty of practical effects or locations like he did when he remade Dawn of the Dead.” For anyone who’s seen his take on the Romero classic, that can only be good news, as it remains one of the high points of his career.

Escape From New York Has Been Eyed for a Remake For Years

The original Escape from New York was directed by John Carpenter and is a near-perfect advert for 1980s grimy sci-fi subgenre. The director had a comparatively limited budget, and leaned heavily into his B-movie instincts to beautiful effect. It also helps that Kurt Russell was perfectly cast as Snake Plissken, despite his earlier career movies not exactly suggesting he had the antihero in him. It remains one of the most rewatchable sci-fi movies of the 1980s, and naturally, Hollywood has wanted to remake it for years. Development initially began as far back as 2007, with Gerard Butler attached to replace Russell as Plissken for a time, and a procession of directors from Len Wiseman to Brett Ratner, and later Robert Rodriguez and Leigh Whannell. The latest update seemed to suggest the new movie wouldn’t be a remake, but rather a sequel, but THR’s report makes it clear Snyder will helm a “reimagining” rather than a follow-up.

Other than perhaps Rodriguez, Snyder is the standout pick of all the directors previously attached to the project. He might be more well-known now as a big-budget superhero director, but genre is where he does his best work, and his intent to apparently make something that matches Carpenter’s more low-key approach sounds like exactly what Escape from New York needs. The other thing it needs to nail is the casting of Snake Plissken, of course. Wyatt Russell has already ruled himself out in the past, and you know for certain we’ll see Glen Powell linked (as well, no doubt as Henry Cavill from Snyder’s fanbase). Whoever is chosen has the daunting task of competing with Kurt Russell’s performance, which was why his own son refused to put himself forward. So yeah, good luck.

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