Summary
- Tricky rights issue was the final straw for Radio Silence, leading to their departure from the Escape from New York reboot.
- Radio Silence hints at potential return to the project in the future, though currently not officially attached in any capacity.
- The planned reboot falls somewhere between a remake and a sequel, avoiding the folly of trying to replicate Carpenter's original film.
The long-gestating reboot of John Carpenter’s beloved sci-fi action flick Escape from New York has sadly taken a major step backwards as it loses directing duo Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, aka Radio Silence. The filmmaking pair behind the likes of Scream and Ready or Not have now confirmed in a conversation with Comicbook.com that they have left the project due to a “tricky rights issue thing.”
"We are not, unfortunately. I think titles like that bounce around for a while and I think they've tried to get that out of the blocks a few times. I think it's just ultimately a tricky rights issue thing. There's a clock on it and we just weren't in a position to make the clock, ultimately. But who knows? I think, in hindsight, it feels crazy that we would think we would, post-Scream, step into a John Carpenter franchise. You never know. There's still interest in it and we've had a few conversations about it but we're not attached in any official capacity."
It seems that the ticking clock attached to bringing the Escape from New York reboot to life is what drove Radio Silence away. Admitting that, perhaps, trying to make something as epic as Carpenter’s original might be too big a task for them, Gillett did hint that it might not be the end of the journey for them. However, for now at least, they are no longer attached.
Why John Carpenter Should Come Out of Retirement to Direct a Third Escape Movie
Is it time for John Carpenter to put the finishing touches on his Escape movies with a third entry?Released in 1981 and co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter, Escape from New York stars Kurt Russell as ex-soldier and current federal prisoner Snake Plissken. Given just 24 hours to rescue the President of the United States, who has crashed landed in Manhattan, which is now a giant maximum-security prison.
The New Escape From New York Movie Would Have Been a 'Requel'
Escape From New York
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Release Date
- May 23, 1981
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Cast
- Kurt Russell , Lee Van Cleef , Ernest Borgnine , Donald Pleasence , Isaac Hayes , Season Hubley
- Runtime
- 99
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- John Carpenter , Nick Castle
- Tagline
- 1997. New York City is now a maximum security prison. Breaking out is impossible. Breaking in is insane.
A remake of Escape from New York has been in development since as far back as 2007, with 300 and Olympus Has Fallen star Gerard Butler initially eyed to take over as Snake. While they may no longer be attached, Radio Silence have previously revealed their plans for the franchise, describing it as falling somewhere between a reboot and a sequel...
"It's a great question. I don't think we know enough about the movie yet to be able to say anything, but yes 'requel' is the idea. There's no way to remake how great that movie is, would be a fool's errand to try. So, you know, we'll try to borrow what we love from it and find a new way to put the package together."
Radio Silence recently continued to demonstrate their affinity for horror with Abigail, which follows a group of kidnappers who capture the daughter of a powerful underworld figure...not knowing exactly who, or what, she is.
Starring Alisha Weir as Abigail alongside Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito, Abigail was released in theaters on April 19, 2024.