Stath Plissken?
Tom Hardy and Jason Statham? Are you fucking kidding me?!? Come on, Joel Silver and Studio Canal. Surely we can do better than this. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of both actors. That said, this just isn’t cutting it. Hardy is already Mad Max and may get his own trilogy out of that part*, so do we really need him as Snake Plissken too? I think not. As for Statham? That’s just a choice that is all kinds of wrong-headed.
Honestly, this is just sad. Is there really no one else that we can go after (or fancast) than these two? What’s next? Michael Fassbender? Karl Urban? Taylor Kitsch? Paul Bettany? Chasing after Gerard Butler again, now that he’s doing well at the box office? Maybe we aim higher on the pay scale and go for Bale? Isaac Hayes wept. I don’t dislike any of these gentlemen, but they really should be thinking more outside the box on this one. Stop chasing actors that already have franchises and/or likely have no interest in doing this. You need someone who is going to give a shit at dissing out Snake’s “I don’t give a shit” attitude. If someone wants to just collect a paycheck here, be they high paid or not, move on to someone who will actually give some effort and not just do a rehash of one of their previous roles.
As I was perusing various pieces on this very subject, as well as comments elsewhere on the ‘net, people are fancasting the likes of Josh Brolin, Josh Holloway, Timothy Olyphant, Joel Edgerton, Mischa Collins, etc. While I’m not sure if any are who I would like to see inherit this part**, at least they aren’t the same chock choices that we see for EVERY SINGLE role like this these days. Kudos to those of you out there giving this some real thought. If only the powers that be would do the same. Change it up a bit. Live a little. Take a chance for once. Let’s not forget that Kurt Russell was primarily known for family fare before he blasted his way onto the screen as S.D. Plissken.
You want me to not rail against an Escape From New York remake? No problem. I won’t. Does it need redone? No. Could a remake turn out well in the right hands? Absolutely. Hire a good screenwriter and a director with vision to make this thing their own and then cast an actor who has just as much passion for the part as they do. As long as said actor’s name is not Jason Statham or some other beyond lazy choice, you have my blessing. If you don’t do those things, you be delivering a fatal blow to any chance of your precious trilogy coming to fruition as a whole. You will also be wasting the time and money of everyone involved in the production and in the audience the film is targeting.
Well, except John Carpenter’s time. He’s gonna have a whole lot of leisurely fun with the checks he cashes from this endeavor.
Source | Vulture
* – As well as Splinter Cell. Hardy is in no need of a third franchise.
** – Of all the names I’ve seen suggested by fans, Brolin gets my vote. Jonah Hex may have been shit overall, but he was a blast in it.