Snake Plissken Hits TV

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    July 14, 2000

Snake Plissken, the eye-patched anti-hero portrayed by Kurt Russell in director John Carpenter's Escape From New York and Escape From L.A., will soon be invading our TV screens, courtesy of Tribune Entertainment. 'The market looks very encouraging for Escape From New York,' says Tribune Entertainment president and CEO Dick Askin. 'The movie was a hit, and Snake is a well-defined character with built-in brand value and global appeal.'

According to Cinescape Online, the TV series 'is set in the near future in a world devastated by man-made natural disasters. Snake Plissken is hired (or forced) by the president to become an agent for the United Nations and wander the world in hopes of saving what's left of humanity. His ultimate goals are to survive and take down his foe, the corrupt Police Commissioner Bob Hauk.'

Although Russell will be executive producing the series with Debra Hill and Carpenter, he's expected to let another actor portray Plissken on the small screen as he's too busy to act in the series, which is planning a 2001 launch. The head writer of the series will be Howard Chaykin, whose credits include Viper and the American Flagg comic book series. According to Hill, Plissken may also return to the big screen for a second sequel after the TV show premieres, depending on the series success, in the tentatively titled Escape From Earth.--Variety/Cinescape