Butler bails on 'New York' remake

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Scottish actor Gerard Butler dropped out of "Escape From New York" before the remake of the 1981 John Carpenter film began shooting, Variety.com said.

Butler, who has starred in "300," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Dear Frankie," was set to play Snake Plissken in the film, but left because of creative differences, the trade paper said.

Kurt Russell played Snake in the original film.

New Line plans to go ahead with the project, hiring "Breakdown" and "U-571" writer-director Jonathan Mostow to rewrite the script and possibly direct the movie.

Butler will next be seen in the romance "P.S., I Love You."