Jeremy Renner is reportedly close to nabbing the iconic role of Snake Plissken in Breck Eisner's (The Crazies) upcoming remake of the John Carpenter classic Escape from New York. The original film centered on Plissken, played then by Kurt Russell, a convict living in the prison that Manhattan has become in the future, who must save the President. As Bloody Disgusting reports, this remake will see him as a “soldier-turned-criminal” who must find the President within a day of an Air Force One crash.
Renner has been a hot commodity in Hollywood since receiving an Academy Award nomination for his breakthrough leading performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker. He recently starred alongside Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall in the crime-drama The Town, stealing scenes from his co-stars left and right. He is currently attached to both Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which is currently filming, and The Avengers, which is still in the pre-production stage.
It goes without saying that Renner is making the rounds in Hollywood. If he does sign on for the project, Eisner and company might have to work around Renner’s tight schedule. Of course, he has proven his skill in both dramatic and action-oriented performances, so he’d certainly be worth the wait.
