Upgrade director Leigh Whannell already has one big assignment to keep him busy, having snagged the task of writing and directing a new version of The Invisible Man for Universal. 20th Century Fox is hoping he can also do something to jump-start the long-gestating remake of Escape From New York.
John Carpenter's 1981 cult classic saw Manhattan turned into an island-sized maximum-security prison to hold the worst of the worst. When a plane carrying the president of the United States crashes into the decaying city, outlaw Snake Plisskin (Kurt Russell) is coerced into traveling inside to rescue him. The new version has been looking to escape from development hell for years, with writers (Luther's Neil Cross was the most recent), directors and actors circling for years without anything to actually show for it.
Whannell's new deal has him writing a fresh script, but doesn't yet include a provision for him to direct – though that, of course, could well follow if his screenplay get the studio excited. After all these years, we remain skeptical of it working out, but Whannell's love for retro action certainly bodes well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he's also bringing ideas for a stripped-down take to avoid blockbuster bloat, so we'll wait and see if he can actually push this one any further down the line.
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