Director Leigh Whannell Addresses Chances of Escape from New York Remake
Director Leigh Whannell, who was previously attached to lead a remake of Escape from New York, has spoken about the chances of the project moving forward. The original 1981 film, directed by John Carpenter, follows Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) as he must rescue President John Harker from inmates in Manhattan.
Whannell, who has since moved on to work on other projects, including the upcoming Wolf Man film, expressed his willingness to revisit the project if it were to be revitalized. However, he emphasized that many factors can result in a movie not being made, including losing the rights or not gelling with producers.
Whannell’s statement suggests that while he is open to directing an Escape from New York remake, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The project has faced numerous challenges, including changes in the direction of the film and the departure of original directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin.
Given Whannell’s proven track record as a director, including his critically acclaimed remake of The Invisible Man, he would be a strong candidate to take on the project if it were to be revived. However, it may be best to wait until a more succinct idea of what the remake would look like comes to the table.
The original Escape from New York received a sequel in 1996, titled Escape from L.A., and has since become a cult classic. Any potential remake would need to carefully balance its approach to honor the original while also bringing a fresh perspective to the story.