ⓒCourtesy of MGM Home Entertainment
Director Zack Snyder is promoting the title “The Last Photograph” for his recent film festival. He is also discussing other projects connected to him, such as Warner Bros.’ planned remake of John Carpenter’s “Escape from New York.” In a fresh conversation with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Snyder elucidates how his interpretation of the Carpenter classic will occur in the identical ‘alternate 1997’ timeframe as the original:
“The approach is for me – the movie is going to be set in ’97. It’s from the perspective of 1981. I set the movie – the war between the United States police force and the criminal elements takes place on July 9, 1981 which is the release date of the original movie. The rest is pretty much Escape From New York.”
He also says he plans to preserve the original film’s mix of tone and social commentary: “Talk about a movie that’s the perfect combination of kitsch and camp. It’s all the things, that’s why I love it. But also, it’s [in] a way that’s satire and can get to us. We can make comments about government and all the overreach or whatever you want to call it, the People’s Liberation Front of America, all that stuff is very … That’s in the headlines. It’s quite current, in some ways.”
[tf-tv]
Asked if he has chosen an actor for the part of Snake Pliskin. He says “I may,” but then asks if the actor he worked with before is the one he’s referring to, adding, “I’m not going to say,” before finishing with, “He better look like Snake, or I’ll walk out.” He also mentions that Jeffrey Dean Morgan, “Watchmen” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” star, has been pressuring the filmmaker for a role: “whether it’s a Snakee or another part.” Morgan has literally been persistently contacting him. He’s outstanding. He’s my favorite. He’s fantastic.
In the original film, the story is set in a future America that has turned into a totalitarian theocratic police state, with Manhattan as a walled-off maximum security prison. Former Special Forces officer Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), currently imprisoned for 24 hours, must rescue the U.S. President, who is being held captive by the city’s most dangerous criminal, within that time frame, and secure his escape.
Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman are set to produce through their deal at StudioCanal. Deborah Snyder, Wesley Collierr, and Snyder also produce, with Carpenter executive producing.