The “Escape from New York” remake is apparently eyeing Charlie Hunnam to take the lead as Snake Plissken. The friendly guys over at Starlog reports that Hunnam, Jon Bernthal (“The Walking Dead“) and Dan Stevens (“The Guest”) are among the frontrunners to play the iconic character previously portrayed by Kurt Russell. The site did however pin the “Sons of Anarchy” star as the favorite because Silver Pictures has apparently ”began to commission pre-production artwork from independent artists featuring Hunnam as the one-eyed antihero, possibly to shop to a co-financier at this year’s American Film Market.”
Also see: Video: Charlie Hunnam’s Hilarious “Sons of Anarchy” Comic-Con Apology for No-Show
Charlie Hunnam Might Play Snake Plissken in ‘Escape from New York’ Remake
Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Jeremy Renner(Avengers: Age of Ultron), Jason Statham (The Expendables 3), and Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) were previously linked to the project as possible leads, but nothing came of it. Production is back on track with a trilogy eyed for the cult classic franchise, but “the origin story aspect for the first film will be played down” and “Snake’s past will be seen in brief glimpses throughout the film, blending into his reality via Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
Also according to Starlog’s source, “Escape from New York” is expected to follow a similar plotline to that of the original whereby the U.S. president crash-lands in Manhattan, as he’s surrounded and captured by prisoners at a maximum security prison. The remake will change the storyline by focusing on a team effort with Plissken recruiting prisoners to assist him with his mission to save the pres.
Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken
The source revealed the following about Plissken’s team:
“Plissken’s team consists of Mina, a warzone journalist framed for murder and living in the shadows of New York as a scavenger; Cabbie, a schizophrenic travel guide who serves as comic relief; Gareth, the last surviving member of the President’s security detail who harbors a dangerous secret; and The Brain, Plissken’s former partner-in-crime who left him to die after a botched robbery.”
Different directors signing on to helm the movie, and backed out throughout the long gestating project. No helmer has been identified yet to take on the remake.
