“Call me Snake” – that’s the first line from Kurt Russell, who plays the iconic Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. His nonchalant personality, coupled with his gruff and whispery voice, echoes the way Clint Eastwood speaks in Sergio Leone’s The Man with No Name trilogy. Ironically, that’s exactly what Russell was intended to be, specifically inspired by Eastwood’s voice in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Both movies, which served as the middle and final parts of the trilogy, also starred Lee Van Cleef. The veteran actor played a supporting role here as police commissioner Bob Hauk.
Snake’s appearance is equally distinct: a sleeveless black shirt over a distressed brown jacket, camouflage cargo pants, a pair of heavy-duty black combat boots, and a black patch worn over his left eye. The latter turned out to be Russell’s idea, suggesting to Carpenter that wearing an eyepatch would look cool. Russell’s character is the definition of a cool-mannered antihero, subverting the typical 1980s action-hero archetypes populated by the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Chuck Norris.
Right from the beginning of the movie, where Snake is handcuffed for committing a robbery at the Federal Reserve Depository and escorted by armed guards to meet the police commissioner, he barely cares about anything. And that includes when Hauk wants him to save the President (Donald Pleasence), who has been kidnapped, and in return, he will ensure Snake receives a full pardon for all his past crimes. Even after Snake agrees to accept the mission, he is only motivated to get the President out of New York alive within 22 hours before the microscopic capsules that have been injected into his neck will blow up his arteries from within.
The Original Opening Scene Fans Never Got to See
Interestingly, Carpenter originally shot the opening scene that details Snake pulling off the Federal Reserve Depository heist in disguise, complete with a blonde wig, with the help of his partner, Taylor (Joe Unger). They try to get away using the subway tunnel but end up surrounded by the heavily armed police officers, even gunning down Taylor.
With nowhere to run, Snake is forced to surrender. The scene, which clocked in around 10 minutes, was ultimately removed in the editing room after Carpenter realized the opening heist would disrupt the pacing. And most of all, by not showing the crime that Snake has committed, it helps to bring a sense of mystique and ambiguity to his character, a decision that works well in Carpenter’s favor. You can watch the deleted opening scene right here.
Why the Studio Didn’t Want Kurt Russell for Snake Plissken
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this month, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Kurt Russell to play Snake Plissken. And yet, believe it or not, Russell wasn’t the first choice for the lead role. The studio—AVCO Embassy Pictures—wasn’t convinced he was the right man for the job, especially given that Russell’s filmography at the time was primarily known for his work as a Disney star between the early ‘60s and late ‘70s.
Instead, the studio preferred rugged-looking stars over a clean-cut Russell. Charles Bronson was AVCO’s top choice, but director John Carpenter found him too old, as he was already in his late 50s, to play a thirtysomething Snake Plissken. Other actors like Chuck Norris, Tommy Lee Jones, and Nick Nolte were considered for the part, but Carpenter insisted on Russell.
They had worked together before when Carpenter directed the actor in the made-for-television biopic Elvis in 1979. He enjoyed working with Russell, even recognizing his immense talent beyond the family-friendly Disney films that he’s been known for. The studio still wasn’t sold on the idea of having Russell on board as Snake Plissken until the AVCO executives saw his role as a scheming, fast-talking car salesman in Robert Zemeckis’s 1980 black comedy Used Cars.
That role proved that Russell had successfully transitioned from his wholesome Disney kid image to playing a mature character (and later an action hero), more than enough to win over the studio. Carpenter finally got his wish, and the rest, as they say, is history.
How a $6 Million Movie Made Over $50 Million Worldwide
Escape from New York opened in the summer of 1981, taking in $4.1 million during the first weekend at the US box office. Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman II may have dominated the top box-office chart at the time but Escape from New York managed to bring in plenty of money before it ended its theatrical run with an impressive $26 million on a $6 million budget. And with the added international grosses, the movie earned over $50 million worldwide.
It would take Carpenter fifteen years to return with a sequel, Escape from L.A. in 1996. Unlike the modestly budgeted first movie, the sequel cost significantly more at $50 million. It didn’t perform as well as expected, killing the chance of a proposed third movie called Escape from Earth.
Since then, there have been seemingly endless talks about rebooting Escape from New York, which has suffered from development hell since 2007. Len Wiseman was first attached to direct, and Gerard Butler was tipped to play Snake Plissken. More directors, such as Robert Rodriguez and Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella), tried and failed before Zack Snyder boarded to write and direct the reboot in 2026. That film will be a reimagining, with Carpenter serving as an executive producer.
Rewatch Escape from New York on its 45th anniversary:
