Zack Snyder is hatching an escape plan — back to the big screen.
The director, best known for his defining run in the DCEU with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, is officially set to write and direct a remake of John Carpenter’s 1981 cult classic Escape From New York.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will be shopped to studios in the coming weeks and is intended for a full theatrical release. That marks a shift for Snyder, whose last four features skipped theaters: Rebel Moon – Part One and Part Two went straight to Netflix, while Zack Snyder’s Justice League debuted on HBO Max before a limited theatrical run.
The Original: Dystopia, 1997
Carpenter’s Escape From New York was co-written with Nick Castle and dropped audiences into a dystopian 1997 where Manhattan had been converted into a lawless maximum-security prison. Kurt Russell starred as eye-patched antihero Snake Plissken, sent in to rescue the President after Air Force One crashes on the island. The film co-starred Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasance, and Isaac Hayes.
The film was a critical success and remains one of Russell’s signature roles. Carpenter and Russell reunited in 1996 for Escape From L.A., which turned Los Angeles into an island prison after a massive earthquake. Unlike its predecessor, the sequel flopped critically and commercially, shelving plans for a third film, Escape From Earth.
A Remake 17 Years in the Making
Hollywood has been trying to break out of Escape From New York since 2007, when New Line Cinema first acquired the rights. The project has cycled through directors including Brett Ratner, Robert Rodriguez, and Leigh Whannell. As recently as 2022, Ready or Not duo Radio Silence was attached, with plans to make the film a direct sequel rather than a remake.
Snyder’s version returns to the remake concept. Sources say he’s aiming for a “more down and dirty” approach, favoring practical effects and real locations over the hyper-stylized, VFX-heavy look of 300, Watchmen, and Rebel Moon. StudioCanal is packaging the project. The studio’s recent credits include the new Evil Dead films and the Paddington franchise.
What’s Next for Snyder
Escape From New York isn’t Snyder’s only project in motion. He recently wrapped production on The Last Photograph in November 2025. The drama follows an ex-DEA operative searching for his missing niece and nephew in the South American mountains after their parents are killed. No release date has been announced.
After a streaming-heavy run, Snyder’s move back to theatrical — and to gritty, grounded filmmaking — signals a new chapter. If Snake Plissken is about to return, he’s doing it without green screen.
