Various people have been vocal about the casting of Gerard Butler as Snake Plissken in the upcominig "Escape from New York" remake, and now the original star has weighed in.

Talking with Entertainment Weekly, actor Kurt Russell had some less than flattering things to say about Butler's casting - and the remake in general.

"When I was told who was going to play Snake Plissken, my initial reaction was ''Oh, man!'' [Russell winces]. I do think that character was quintessentially one thing. And that is, American...He's a fascinating character. In fact, he's the most complex character I've ever played" says Russell.

So no chance of a cameo by Russell? "F--- that! I am Snake Plissken! It's like Sean Connery always watching someone else do their version of Bond."

Meanwhile the original's writer/director John Carpenter tells Suicide Girls that the film looks to be more of a prequel than the original - "I don’t know that it’s a remake. I think it’s a lot about Snake before he gets to New York" says Carpenter.

The director is also perfectly candid about his involvement - "My main involvement is I read the scripts and make sure the character is the same character that we wrote originally. I think that would be cool. My other main involvement in this project is to extend my hand and have a check placed in it...After 30 odd years of being in the fucking business, it’s nice to not have to do anything and get paid."