GERARD BUTLER - BUTLER ESCAPES NEW YORK

BUTLER ESCAPES NEW YORK

Gerard Butler has quit the upcoming remake of Escape from New York over 'creative differences', reports claim.

The 300 star signed up to follow in Kurt Russell's footsteps as Snake Plissken in the New Line remake of John Carpenter's 1981 classic but has now pulled out of the project, according to Variety.

Butler's departure follows a troubling few months for the movie, with Underworld director Len Wiseman and Rush Hour helmer Brett Ratner both choosing to escape New York before it's too late.

But the trade paper claims there is still life in the reimagining Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow has been brought in to rewrite the script with an option to direct as well.

Butler, who starred as King Leonidas in Zack Snyder's Frank Miller adaptation 300, is rumoured to be attached to play the Black Freighter in Snyder's upcoming movie version of Alan Moore's masterly graphic novel Watchmen.

The 37-year-old has just begun shooting Game, opposite Kyra Sedgwick, and stars in Richard LaGravanese's PS I Love You, Nim's Island with Jodie Foster and Guy Richie's new movie Rock N' Rolla.