Kurt Russell recently spoke out about the new efforts to remake his popular 1981 science fiction film, Escape from New York.
I’ve been hearing a lot lately about studios trying to revisit some of my older films, and it’s a recurring pattern. The actor shared with MovieWeb that these projects often get surprisingly far along—they’ll almost have a remake in the works—before the filmmakers apparently hit a wall and realize just how challenging it is to recapture the magic.
Kurt Russell has heard rumors about a new Escape from New York movie many times before. If the film actually gets made, he says he’ll simply wish the filmmakers good luck.
Russell has said he doesn’t generally like remakes. But he agreed to reprise his role in the 1996 sequel, Escape from L.A., because he felt time was running out for him to do the part, and he liked the idea of the two movies (Escape from New York and Escape from L.A.) being shown together, with his character, Snake Plissken, looking consistent in both.
It took fifteen years for a sequel to Escape from New York to be made, and the filmmakers enjoyed revisiting that world when it finally happened.
Ever since John and I made that film, people have been discussing a remake. While Snake is a fantastic character, I’m generally not a fan of remakes. I did revisit the role with John in ‘Escape from L.A.’ and it was enjoyable to step back into that world after so many years.
We acted quickly because time was running short. The two films can be shown one after the other, and the character of Snake remains true to form – he’s still the same Snake. Throughout my career, people have often talked about sequels or remakes of my work, but they usually discover it’s more challenging than expected. I’ve encountered this situation before, so if they decide to move forward, that’s fine. We’ll see how it goes, and I wish them the best.
The film Escape from New York features Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, a one-time Special Forces operative who has turned to a life of crime.
The movie is set in a futuristic, oppressive America where Manhattan Island has become a high-security prison. The main character, Snake, faces an incredible mission: rescuing the President of the United States after Air Force One is hijacked and crashes.
Russell stars in the film alongside Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Season Hubley, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, Frank Doubleday, Douglas Baker, and John Strobel.
John Carpenter, the director of Halloween, also directed and co-wrote Escape from New York. The film is critically acclaimed, earning an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and grossed $50 million at the box office.
Kurt Russell and Pam Grier reprised their roles in Escape from L.A., alongside Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, and Bruce Campbell. However, the sequel didn’t achieve the same success as the first film, receiving mixed reviews and a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Following Escape from L.A., Russell appeared in films such as Vanilla Sky, Miracle, Poseidon, Furious 7, The Hateful Eight, The Fate of the Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and F9. He’s also starred in the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and The Madison.
As Russell mentioned, many people have tried to create a new version of Escape from New York over the years. Both New Line and 20th Century Fox have worked on reboots, and directors like Len Wiseman, Brett Ratner, Breck Eisner, and Robert Rodriguez were all considered to direct at different times.
I was really excited when I heard Radio Silence would be directing the new film! They’re fantastic. Plus, having John Carpenter involved as a producer, along with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman, just made it even better – a dream team, honestly.
Just last month, StudioCanal revealed plans to remake Escape from New York at CinemaCon. It’s currently unknown whether the directors of the upcoming The Mummy 4 (scheduled for release in October 2027), Radio Silence, will be involved in the remake.
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2026-05-04 19:29