Escape's Russell Softens On Butler

Escape's Russell Softens On Butler


Sci Fi Wire.com


March 26, 2007


by Patrick Lee, News Editor



Kurt Russell, who played Snake Plissken in the original Escape From New York, backed off his harsh criticism of Gerard Butler, who is slated to star in a remake, in comments to SCI FI Wire. "Oh, I don't know, I was just kidding around," Russell said in an interview while promoting Grindhouse in Beverly Hills, Calif., on March 25.

Russell added: "Listen, I've had a long career, I'm only happy to have had it. Good luck to everybody, and, yeah, see if you can keep up, cool."

Last week, Russell told Entertainment Weekly about the casting of Butler, a Scotsman: "I will say that when I was told who was going to play Snake Plissken, my initial reaction was, 'Oh, man!' [winces] I do think that character was quintessentially one thing. And that is, American."

Russell added: "People come up to me and say, 'You played Snake Plissken.' I didn't play Snake Plissken. I created him!"

Asked if he'd do a cameo in the new version, he said: "F--k that! I am Snake Plissken! It's like Sean Connery always watching someone else do their version of Bond."

New Line will remake John Carpenter's 1981 original Escape From New York, with 300 star Butler attached and Neal Moritz producing through his Original Films banner. Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) is attached to write the script.

In his interview with SCI FI Wire, Russell was philosophical about the remake. "A long time ago, John and I had a lot of fun making a movie. It was a John Carpenter creation, the Snake Plissken character, and how it's played was my creation. Our movie will always be there." Grindhouse, in which Russell plays a killer stuntman, opens April 6.






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