10 Movie Remakes You Didn't Know Were In The Works

The Original: John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi thriller takes place in the far-off future of 1997, in which the crime-ridden New York City has been turned into a maximum security penitentiary. Kurt Russell stars as one-eyed anti-hero Snake Plissken, who is sent in to rescue the President (Donald Pleasance) after Air Force One crash-lands in the savage wastelands of Manhattan.

The Remake: This is another remake that's been brewing for a dog's age. Directors Len Wiseman, Brett Ratner and Breck Eisner have come and gone, whilst Gerard Butler, Jeremy Renner and Charlie Hunnam have been tipped for the role of Snake. In March 2017, Robert Rodriguez signed on to direct, and it looks like this should be his next film after the upcoming Alita: Battle Angel.

Should We Be Excited?

Escape From New York is a beloved cult favourite, and given how most John Carpenter remakes have turned out (The Fog, The Thing, Halloween), fans can be forgiven for not feeling too optimistic.

But if anyone can make it work, it's Rodriguez. The Sin City and Planet Terror director has previously said the 1981 original is the film that made him want to make movies, so he won't be taking the job lightly.

A bigger question mark hangs over studio plans to somehow turn Escape into an ongoing series, but we'll wait and see how they figure that out.