What does one do when one lacks imagination but has plenty of studio money? Why, remake a classic film, of course. Having previously directed a remake of George A. Romero’s seminal Dawn of the Dead back in 2004, Zack Snyder is developing a remake of John Carpenter’s iconic Escape from New York. The project was announced earlier this year, but Snyder has finally opened up about his approach to the film in his conversation with the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

For anyone hoping for an updated take on the politically potent source material, no such luck!

“The movie is going to be set in’97, from the perspective of 1981,” Snyder stated. “I set the movie [in] the war between the United States Police Force and the elements, criminal elements. [It] takes place, I think, July 9th, 1981, which is the release date of the original movie… The rest is pretty much Escape from New York.”

He went on to say: “Talk about a movie that’s the perfect combination of kitsch and camp. It’s all the things, that’s why I love it. But also, it’s [in] a way that’s satire and can get to us. We can make comments about government and all the overreach or whatever you want to call it, the People’s Liberation Front of America, all that stuff… That’s in the headlines. It’s quite current, in some ways.”

When asked who might fill Kurt Russell’s shoes as Snake Plissken, however, Snyder remained tight-lipped.

This Escape from New York remake does not yet have a release date.