Kurt Russell's 'Escape from New York' to Receive a Brand-New Remake from Zack Snyder

After almost two decades of on-again, off-again production, the long-awaited Escape from New York remake is officially a go.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the brand-new remake of the beloved '80s action film will be directed by Zack Snyder, the mainstream filmmaker behind such crowd-pleasing hits as 300, Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead and several DCEU films.

Originally directed by Halloween icon John Carpenter, Escape from New York followed Kurt Russell's eye patch-clad ex-commando Snake Plissken in a grim dystopian future where New York has been transformed into a maximum security prison.

After the President of the United States (Donald Pleasence) crash-lands in the middle of Manhattan, Russell's hardened criminal is forced to sneak onto the island and rescue the commander-in-chief from the various gangs ruling New York.

Among the most popular entries in either Carpenter or Russell's filmography, Escape from New York earned warm reviews at the time of its release, sparking a short-lived franchise that ended after one ill-fated sequel.

Over the years, multiple attempts have been made to launch a remake of the film, all of which have ultimately failed to get off the ground. In the past, several prominent directors were slated to oversee the project, including Len Wiseman, Brett Ratner, Breck Eisner, Robert Rodriguez, Leigh Whannell and the filmmaking duo known as Radio Silence.

As of yet, it's not year clear how faithful the new film will be to the original, although multiple outlets have reported Snyder sees the project as a "reimagining" of Escape from New York rather than an outright remake.

Interestingly, the director also made his intent clear to use more practical effects reminiscent of the original, contrasting significantly from the CGI-laden presentation of his more recent superhero films.

The upcoming movie will be produced by Picture Company partnersAndrew Rona and Alex Heinemanas part of their deal with StudioCanal. Similarly, Snyder will also produce the project, along with his Stone Quarry production company partners Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 6:38 AM.