Why Kurt Russell Shot Down A Cameo In The Upcoming Remake Of His 45-Year-Old Action Movie Classic

Kurt Russell once proclaimed, “F*** that!” when asked about making a cameo in the upcoming remake of his greatest action film – and his reasoning is sound. Several Kurt Russell movies have been subject to remakes already, with the biggest problem with most of them being the profound lack of Kurt Russell.

2011’s The Thing is technically a prequel to the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell movie classic, but since it basically copy/pasting the original’s story, it still counts as a remake. Despite a game cast that included Mary Elizabeth Winstead and some interesting new tweaks to the titular monster, the prequel didn’t do enough to justify its existence.

The same can be said for the new take on the Kurt Russell/Goldie Hawn rom-com Overboard. The original was no masterpiece either, but it boasted the considerable charms of its real-life couple and became a cult favorite for good reason. Despite featuring Anna Faris, the 2018 remake was sadly lacking in the laughs and romance department.

The Escape from New York remake has been the most evasive updating of a classic Russell film. The original saw his one-eyed outlaw Snake Plissken breaking into the hellish prison formerly known as Manhattan to save the President, and a reboot has been mooted since at least 2007.

Over the years, actors like Gerard Butler, Jon Bernthal, and even Russell’s son Wyatt have been linked to the Plissken role. Despite all the talent that’s been linked to a potential Escape from New York reboot, it has yet to happen, though a new take is currently in development. Just don’t expect to see Kurt Russell make a surprise cameo if it happens.

Kurt Russell Rejected The Idea Of An Escape From New York Remake Cameo In 2007

Since there have been almost 20 years of failed attempts by the Escape from New York remake to, ummmm, escape development hell, that means Russell has endured two decades of being about it. He was especially salty about the movie during a 2007 chat with EW, when the reboot was set to star Gerard Butler as Snake.

Russell revealed he “winced” when he heard Butler was cast, as he felt an American actor must play the part. When asked if he would be open to a cameo in the new Escape from New York, Russell shot the idea down with “F*** that! I am Snake Plissken!“

To Russell, he not only played Plissken, he feels ownership over the role. It was the star who suggested Snake should wear an eye patch, for example. He also doesn’t sound crazy about the notion of Escape from New York being remade at all, which is why he shut down the mere suggestion of a cameo.

Kurt Russell Feels The New Snake Plissken MUST Be Played By An American

Gerard Butler was red-hot when he was linked to Escape from New York, as he was coming off the back of 300. Butler’s various action roles since have only underlined his talent for the genre, but even then, Russell felt he was wrong. The star thinks Snake Plissken is a totally American creation, and has be played by an American actor for that reason.

Chatting with IGN in 2013 about another remake iteration that didn’t happen, Russell expanded on his thoughts. To the star, the antihero is touching on something unique to the USA.

“Someone said, ‘What about Gerard Butler?’ I said, ‘Well, the one thing that I can tell you that I know about Snake, and the Snake Plissken world that I know, is that he’s very American.’ There’s a reason that’s a baseball bat with nails. It’s not a soccer ball. It’s a baseball bat with nails. In LA, it’s basketball. These are generic to who he is.

While actors like Timothy Olyphant or Jeremy Renner have also been mooted for Snake, it does feel like British names like Tom Hardy or Charlie Hunnam come up more often in conversation. Assuming the recently announced reboot actually happens and is cast with a non-American actor, it will be interesting to hear Russell’s response.

Would Kurt Russell Be Open To Appearing In An Escape From New York Remake Now?

Snake Plissken looks angry while standing in front of fire in Escape from L.A.

It should be noted that Kurt Russell’s rejection of an Escape from New York cameo is close to 20 years ago now. Maybe his stance has softened, and if the remake attaches a great director and star, perhaps he could be smooth-talked into an appearance. It’s safer to assume that will never happen, though.

Kurt Russell himself is no stranger to remakes, having appeared in 2001’s Vanilla Sky – an English-language remake of the Spanish thriller Open Your Eyes – and Poseidon. His sci-fi adventure Soldier is also a loose update of Western classic Shane.

In various interviews, Kurt Russell comes across as someone who likes to look forward, not backward. He rejected a role in The Expendables saga for that reason, feeling it was something he’d already done. Escape from New York and Snake Plisskin are dear to Russell’s heart too, so unless the reboot is shaping up to be something incredible, he’ll almost certainly opt out of appearing to let it stand on its own two feet.

Source: EW / IGN