Rumor: Josh Brolin to Play Snake Plissken in Escape From New York Remake

Posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson

The curse of One-Eyed Willie…

UPDATE: The reader consensus seems to be 1) no, it’s not cool, this remake is utterly pointless and a disgrace, 2) where the hell will Snake “land the glider,” 3) Brolin is too old (not really understanding this one), 4) FTW, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell should team up to make Escape From Boston or Escape From Earth (good to see our readers’ idealism staying strong!).

This rumor is a wild red hair that sprouted from the pale leg of Spielberg News, but we’ll entertain it for now because it’s late at night, this remake is happening, and the casting would be pritty, pritty good. In a role that would nicely connect the eye-patched dots to his salad days on The Goonies, actor Josh Brolin is rumored to be the top contender to play dystopian, one-eyed rogue, Snake Plissken, in the planned remake of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. Throughout the end of last year, Gerard Butler (300, The Game) was attached to Plissken, as were directors Brett Ratner (we coined it Escape From Brett Ratner) and Len Wisemen (Live Free or Die Censored), both of whom are no longer in the equation (thanks). This is how the site’s scoop translates from French to English…

“It is our scoop of the week. A source close to the production (if so) has assured us that it is now Josh Brolin to be in the running to take over the role of Snake Plissken in the remake currently in draft New York 1997.”

There are a lot of top actors taking on genre fare these days, but we’ve always been keen on Brolin for hypothetical franchise roles like Metal Gear Solid’s Solid Snake. Whereas the success of Butler’s casting as Plissken would be fully realized only by a really cool director, Brolin’s involvement, if it pans out, would give the remake unforseen cache. Though New Line is dismantled, the remake is purportedly going ahead, so we’ll update accordingly. Brolin will next be seen on screen this Fall as Dubbya (he botched a lay-up) in Oliver Stone’s W.

Discuss: Would any of you be upset if this was true? It’d be pretty cool, no? Okay, people are mad down below. Let’s say this remake happens no matter what: who would you choose?

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Action/Adventure, Around The Web, Casting, Fan Films, Fandom, New Line, Remakes, Rumors, , , ,

  • I can totally see Brolin in the role.
  • kevin
    yes, i would be upset. i have a snake plissken tattoo on my chest. i hope the remake never happens.
  • vadmspartan
    Brolin as Solid Snake? I don't know how he fits. He's a good actor and all but I'm not sure about that role. I've always thought Christian Bale would be a good Solid but he's doing too many franchises already.
  • Tabor
    Why can't they just go back to ripping off the plot elements of other films and slapping a different title on it and try to maintain at least the semblance of originality?
  • 790
    This is the bullshit remake of the year!
    To fans of the Original this is AS lame as a Star Wars remake.

    Are they going to have the Twin Towers in the film? No.

    This just makes me sick.

    Call me pissed!
  • Tom
    Just for the record.

    Escape from LA kicks ass
  • JFK
    Not I
  • danno
    As long as we see more new doorways cut with an Uzi I'm happy!!!!
  • Jonny
    The real question is what is Pliskin gonna land the glider on?
  • Klaus Kinski
    "Would any of you be upset if this was true? It’d be pretty cool, no?"
    No. it would not be pretty cool. It just would be a cash cow, there is almost no other reason to do a remake of a already good movie.
  • cool? maybe. unnecessary? completely.

    brolin's too old. gotta agree with klaus - no reason to remake this film.
  • 790
    I would hope fans of the Original would stay away from this and send a message.

    (Where he's gonna land ? It won't be the Twin Towers I'll gurantee you that). Just another reason the Original is a classic.

    If it does make more than the Original that's unfair based on the times and the economic changes.

    Escape from LA , is as awesome sequel.
    love both films. Much like Don Adams , there's only one Snake Pisken and its Kurt Russell. Duh!! Call me Pissed!
  • mike c
    if it happens.......................It better be as dark as the origional or Darker. After all, EFNY dealt with the backstory of a police state!
  • gocitizen
    please, stop spending your money on remakes. Quit enabling these uncreative cash grabs. Send a message.

    This generation deserves its own films.
  • 790
    Thanks gocitizen for covering my back on this.....!
  • Captain Awesome
    This news is more along the lines of "I don't really care" anymore. People are going to attempt remakes even if they see money in them or not. They wanna try and rake in a new crowd with flashier effects, a Linkin Park soundtrack, and a cast filled with a bunch of "nobody" tweens.

    Eventually films from less than 5 years ago will be remade. And then in another 15 years. Films less than 6 months old. Will be remade.
  • 790
    Yep your right Captain Awesome, its called the (Dumbing Down protocol).

    The people need to fight it I say!
    Fight it!!!!!! Resist the urge to see crap movies for the love of Gawd!
  • Andrew
    No point in remaking a classic. It would be like remaking "Jaws" or "Back to the Future."
  • gocitizen
    reminds me of that first 5 minutes of Idiocracy. Just replace the human gene pool with movies and hooray - a future of people watching 2 hours of ass.

    I hate that creators have been sucked into this whirlpool of dumb. Now we see writers, hoping to pay bills, putting their time into writing "spec remakes." That kind of cannibal mentality will leave us with fewer and fewer opportunities to see unique stories and creative films.

    With the independant studios getting swallowed, this is only going to get worse.

    This is why anytime I see filmmakers trying to do something new, I want to support the effort and hope they succeed.
  • 790
    Yeah I totally agree Gocitizen!
  • trigoo
    I am happy they diddent asked Statham for this thing, that wood be a totall misfit,
  • Tom
    What would be awesome would be if they did some sort of backstory for snake. Or just some random story of him being a badass between NY an LA. That would be awesome.
  • Hendo
    eh I dunno... he's too old. And why a NY remake? Why not Metal Gear Solid?
  • Matt
    NY was a classic, and while LA was fun, and I love it, neither of them need to be remade. What needs to happen is Carpenter and Russell (The ONLY SNAKE PLISSKEN) need to get together and do one of the following two things:
    do a prequel with the Boston escape they refer to in both films, or,
    do a the final sequel Carpenter talked about from long ago, Escape from Earth.

    Personally, I would like to see the Boston story. And I ususally hate prequels as much as remakes.
  • Christopher Marc
    Why a remake? Why not a new Escape movie maybe Escape from ...Miami, Chicago, Washington..ect...or even London... Studios seem to love to play it safe with a remake not so much with cult smash sequels
  • Christopher Marc
    btw what ever happened to the rumor of Brolin in the new Terminator movie?
  • REAL6
    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I WANT MY ESCAPE FROM EARTH DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Matt
    There is only ONE Robert Plissken.
    And I would pay top dollar to see Kurt do it one more time.
  • MacReady
    Josh Brolin and Josh Holloway are the two best choices for the new Snake Plissken. Kurt Russell though will always be Snake Plissken.

    I have an idea for the whole descending into NY thing. Instead of landing a glider on the WTC, they beef up the technology and use a small jet-powered craft that Plissken crash lands in Central Park.
  • I like many of the commentors above is an EFNY purist. While it may not be the highest point in cinema you cannot deny its badassness. I don't want a remake I want a continuation. Bring Kurt Russell back as an old and grizzled Snake ... the man has still got it!
  • A-Number One
    I can't see replacing an actor when the original is still alive and well. If you're making a prequel, then it's SOMEWHAT acceptable. I wouldn't mind seeing what happened to snake in Kansas City when Brain crossed him...If you're doing a sequel, it has to have Kurt as Snake or introduce a new main character and make Snake the duke of new york type role. NO REMAKES. Assault on Precinct 13 pissed me off more than enough.

    On a side note. If you make a Metal Gear movie, do Guns of the Patriots and put Michael Biehn as Snake. He's the right age, he's played a soldier more than f'n anybody, his picture is used for the cover of the original metal gear game for crying out loud!
  • Why not just greenlight the second (rumoured) sequel? Kurt Russell could still fit the leather pants and eye-patch.
  • wxph8r
    No one is Snake Plissken except for Kurt Russell. It is still to early to make a remake of this movie, this movie is still to well known and considered a great cult masterpiece. I think there has to be so much time involved before its acceptable to remake a movie, and this is still to soon.
  • Steve
    Why don't they spend their time and effort remaking one of Carpenter's (many) crappy movies that sounded good in the trailer?

    Seriously, everything he did since The Thing sucked mightily. The film has a fair chance for success as long as they get someone other than Carpenter to direct it.

    I know! Have Viggo play Snake, and get Cronenberg to direct.

    FWIW I think Brolin would be awesome as Snake. The more important question is who do they get to replace Adrienne Barbeau? Or the Chef- er I mean, the Duke?
  • Schu
    Just ignore it. Maybe it'll go away...
  • HD Plissken
    Josh Brolin give me a break Hollywierd! Josh Holloway should do a prequel to Escape from New York and explain all the stuff that happened in Kansas City with his old buddy Harrold Hellman ( Brain ) Holloway looks and acts the part already on Lost, just throw an eye patch on him. I would love to see Kurt tie up the franchise by doing Snake one last time, ah la Willis & Stallone and please do not make it the flaming turd that L.A. was, that movie was a complete joke and was an insult to Snake. He got punked out so bad that it made me puke. Snake deserves to go out the total badass that he is,if Carpenetr doesn't want to do it so what he lost his touch after They Live anyway. I could see Rob Zombie, or even Quentin Tarantino doing a really dark movie not a laugh fest like L.A. Even if NY has to get done over which I doubt, these two guys should direct it. As far as landing on the WTC it could be a whole new building,or respectfully make it the original buildings just because,or have him parrachute in. Now there's a novel idea, after all Plissken is ex-Special Forces. They could really show alot of what Snake is all about in this remake, expand the Crazies scene alot more, really showing how scary and dangerous that a Manahattan Island inhabited by criminals and cut throats really is. Snake wouldn't be just strolling down the street assembling his Mac10 he would have to use stealth to keep from being seen and stay alive using everything he has. I could totaly see a new NY if done right with serious fan input. This is my favorite movie since I first laid eyes on it in 1981 and I'm sick of Hollywood just remaking movies for just profit. For once I would like to see a little old school and make a movie great and you don't need billions of dollars and you don't need to CG the hell out of it till moviegoers eyes fall out looking for all the little x-wings flying around. Acting, atmosphre and the right cast and director with passion for the project. This it was made EFNY a classic film. Nuff Said.
  • andrew
    Kurt Russell is the only Snake Plissken. No Remake needed. Josh Holloway does fit the part for a prequel and Kurt Russell can still play Snake in a sequel, he's not even that old. Hollywood has got to stop making pointless remakes just for profit.
  • 790
    Shame on any fan of the original that see's this remake!

    Shame!
  • evan
    I don't know why most of you are so up in arms over this movie getting re-made.

    One of you called it the latest re-make in years. In no way is that even close to being true-- not with the amount of crap that gets thrown our way.

    One of you has a pic of Snake tattoed on your chest??? If that's true, then a re-make of Escape from New York is the least of your worries.

    Brolin is a fine actor, and the plot of EFNY is good enough to warrant a more modern re-make. Hate to break it to many of you, but the original is not exactly the pinnacle of filmmaking.
  • evan
    "It would be like re-making 'Jaws' or 'Back to the Future.'"

    No it wouldn't.

    Seriously, some of you guys are way too into this movie. It wasn't THAT good.

    And I can't believe people are saying "do it but in Boston", or "Kansas City!" KC?!

    The whole point of Manhattan is that it's an island. I can understand the "Escape from Earth" or something, because at least that's a location with natural boundaries.

    I'm glad many of you people aren't Hollywood execs. Actually, now that I think about it, I think some of you are...
  • HD Plissken
    Yes Kurt Russell will always be Snake Plissken, and personally I think that the movie does not need to be re-made and I hope that it isn't, but Hollywood is going to try anyway. They will probabbly end up putting some punk from the WB in to play Snake and just ruin the whole thing.

    Why don't they just re-release the original in theaters and spruce it up a little. Fix some of the exteriors to match what they should have looked like back then when they had no budget. Like the facad of thw WTC when they escape the Duke near the end of the film. They don't have to do that much to it because it looks fanatastic even after almost 30 years. Fix the fight scene between Snake and Slag and just insert the ring into a well done cg arena full of people giving it a grander scale. Imagine all of MSG chanting Snake Snake Snake...Like I mentioned before, make the crazies scene longer and more intense by splicing a look a like actor and not show his face, or use long shots of Snake getting the hell away from them and making it more like the book version. I am probably one of the biggest if not the biggest fan of Escape from New York and Snake Plissken and this is what I would love to happen for this great movie. Escape is a masterpiece and shows what can be done with little money and a lot of heart.
  • 790
    Evan, I guess for alot of young people the original Escape from New York was l just another movie. (I'm assuming your young).

    Alot of us older movie fans love the Original so much because it was such a rich cast, had such a cool plot, used real cool locations and sets, had a great soundtrack, and had the magical aura of John Carpenter Camp!

    These ingredients and the way they were executed is no longer done in Hollywood, and a remake (too me) is just a waste of time.

    In a sentance Evan, "you just had to be there!". You'll never know the beauty of the 80's. Kinda feel bad for ya.
  • HD Plissken
    Rock on 790! There will never be another time like the 80's! I'm with you brother, glad I was there to live it. I'll never forget it I went to see a double feature TRON and Escape from New York for $5. Long live Snake Plissken.
  • 790
    Right on HD Plissken!
    I did my 80's time in Susanville ca. , Arizona, and the OC..........................
    Lots of great memories and great movies and music.

    Rock on bro!
    790
  • R.I.P. Hayes
    If they've already deemed it necessary to cash in on a remake, I can't really see any fault in hiring Brolin to play Plissken. With Russel as the lead character we would just see another botch up like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with an over-ripe fig, too winded to say his lines straight, playing lead character.
  • 790
    This remake is insulting !!!!!!
    I will never see this remake, and I hope it bombs like "Swing Vote ! "
  • Dano Walimaa
    Well...I want to see Russell come back to do another sequel, and it has got to be Escape From Planet Earth! Or EFE, whatever. Carpenter needs to write most of it, do the music, direct it, and Russell has to star in it. What more is left to do but escape from a new world order type Earth? Make this movie! And I have no problems with a remake of the original, with Josh Brolin starring as Snake. I would really like to see this. I love the original Dawn Of The Dead, but I also like the remake. Sure the original is much better, but I still like the remake. Nuff said!
  • HDPlissken
    Yeah I'm sick to my stomach with all of these really bad remakes. Hollywood is so out of touch with how to make an original movie that they have to resort to making insulting carbon copies of clasic films. Instead of wasting all that money on crap, why don't they invest it properly and just re-release the classics back in theaters,lower ticket prices,bring back the good ol' double feature and make America happy dammit! Bring back the god ol' days when you can bring your family to the movies without breaking the bank.
  • John Doe
    This explains why we have so much piracy because of these studios putting out crappy movies & CD's
  • Ron
    Nobody - and I mean NOBODY - can play Snake except for Kurt Russell. He made that character what it was. There's a reason it's a cult classic. Don't mess with it!
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