- Primary Subject: Zack Snyder's upcoming remake/reimagining of Escape from New York
- Key Update: Director Zack Snyder has officially signed on to direct a remake of the John Carpenter classic.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 2, 2026
- Quick Answer: Zack Snyder is officially writing and directing a theatrical remake of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, reviving the long-dormant dystopian sci-fi franchise.
Zack Snyder is set to direct the long-gestating remake of the '80s John Carpenter classic Escape from New York.
For years, there have been attempts to remake/reboot the 1981 cult classic starring Kurt Russell. To this day, none of the previous iterations of the projects came to fruition, and fans of the original are still wondering whether it will still happen.
Now, a high-profile director has been tapped to do the new iteration that would finally move forward after years of development hell.
What to Expect in Zack Snyder's Escape from New York Remake
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Zack Snyder has signed on to direct a remake of Escape from New York for StudioCanal.
So far, details on how Snyder will update the 1981 film remain under wraps, but it will likely follow the same premise as the original.
The project is officially being taken out to market in the coming weeks, marking the most significant progress on the franchise in years. The producers intend for it to be a theatrical release.
The Picture Company’s Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman will produce under their overall deal with StudioCanal, which co-controls the underlying rights alongside John Carpenter. Snyder will also produce via his Stone Quarry banner alongside Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller, while Carpenter serves as an executive producer on the update.
StudioCanal is fast-tracking the Escape from New York remake project, making it one of their biggest franchises. Top executives even highlighted the upcoming film during their presentation at this year’s CinemaCon.
For now, stay tuned for more news and updates regarding the project in the coming months. While this is being developed, Snyder is working on the post-production of his upcoming indie drama titled The Last Photograph.
What is Escape from New York About?
Set in a dystopian 1997, Escape from New York follows a crime-ravaged America that has transformed Manhattan into a massive, walled-off maximum-security prison. When anti-government rebels hijack Air Force One and crash it into the island, the government turns to an unlikely savior. Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces operative serving time as a federal inmate, is offered a deal: rescue the President within 24 hours, or die.
Released in 1981, the film earned both critical acclaim and box office success, eventually cementing its status as a cult classic. Its popularity spawned a 1996 sequel, Escape from L.A., which reunited director-writer John Carpenter and star Kurt Russell.
There have been several attempts to get the reboot off the ground, but the project has been notoriously difficult to lock down. During New Line's tenure with the rights, directors such as Len Wiseman and Brett Ratner came and went, with Gerard Butler at one point attached to star as Plissken.
When the rights shifted to 20th Century Fox in 2017, directors Robert Rodriguez and, later, Leigh Whannell both took turns developing versions, while the filmmaking collective Radio Silence was attached to the most recent attempt just a few years ago.
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