Movies
John Carpenter Says Snake Plissken Deserves “a Third or Maybe Even Fourth Story”
Kurt Russell‘s one-eyed badass Snake Plissken is one of the most iconic characters in film history.
He saved the President of the United States in John Carpenter‘s thrilling sci-fi actioneer Escape from New York (1981) and then the POTUS’s daughter in the 1996 sequel Escape from L.A.
The dystopian anti-hero is a fan favorite that’s been celebrated in pop culture from toys to tributes/spoofs in many movies and television shows. Yet, Snake hasn’t been called to action since the 90s.
Even though it appears Snake’s retired, John Carpenter teases a possible return, albeit an unlikely one.
“He’s a character that Kurt is passionately fond of. He convinced me to do the sequel,” the director told Total Film magazine in an interview focused on Halloween Kills.
“There’s probably a third or maybe even fourth story about Snake. I don’t know if we’ll ever make it, but I think that he deserves it.”
The odds are against a second canonized Escape from New York sequel, but the long-gestured remake should eventually find its footing. The last we heard, Leigh Whannell had been writing the remake for Fox, which would eventually be purchased by Disney. Who knows if this project is still in the cards, but if it is, it sure would be nice to see Russell reprise his role, even if to pass the torch to somebody new (a sibling?).
What say you?
The bar wasn’t very high to clear, but Lionsgate’s The Strangers: Chapter 1 did manage to break a box office record here in 2024, achieving the highest opening weekend at the domestic box office out of any horror movie released this year… so far. This despite largely negative reviews, once again proving that the horror genre is as review-proof as it comes.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 debuted with $11.83M at the domestic box office in 2,856 locations, just barely topping Blumhouse’s Night Swim to rip the crown off the top of its head.
Here’s the full lineup of domestic opening weekends for horror this year…
- The Strangers: Chapter 1 – $11.8 million
- Night Swim – $11.7 million
- Abigail – $10.2 million
- Imaginary – $9.9 million
- The First Omen – $8.3 million
- Tarot – $6.5 million
- Immaculate – $5.3 million
- Lisa Frankenstein – $3.6 million
For further context and comparison, 2018’s The Strangers: Prey at Night opened to $10.4 million before making $31 million worldwide, a number Chapter 1 may eventually reach.
The good news for Lionsgate is that the production budget for The Strangers: Chapter 1 was a reported $8.5 million, so there’s a good chance this one will soon be profitable. But is it enough to justify theatrical releases for both Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, which will continue Chapter 1‘s storyline and have already been filmed? Or will Lionsgate pivot to a streaming release?
These are the questions we can’t help but ponder today. Stay tuned for more.
Madelaine Petsch (“Riverdale”), Froy Gutierrez (Hocus Pocus 2), Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child), Ema Horvath (“Rings of Power”) and Gabe Basso (Hillbilly Elegy) star.
Here’s the full official synopsis: “After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive.”
Renny Harlin directed The Strangers: Chapter 1.
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