One of the most memorable scenes from 2008’s found-footage film “Cloverfield” is the torn-off head of the Statue of Liberty rolling down the streets of New York. Not only was it in the trailers and referenced on the poster, but it also signaled a huge turning point in the plot. Until that scene, the characters and audience just assumed this was some kind of explosion. Once we see that metal head covered in bite marks, followed by a quick glimpse of the monster, the audience knew what they were in for.
In honor of “Cloverfield”’s 15th anniversary (and upcoming 4K Ultra HD release), director Matt Reeves (“Planet of the Apes,” “The Batman“) has confirmed the film is kind of connected to John Carpenter‘s 1981 classic “Escape From New York.”
“No, it’s not a secret prequel,” Reeves said. “But it is related to it. That’s actually where the idea came from, because I think [producer] J.J. [Abrams] had that poster … Look, that’s a critical moment in the movie, because at first, the whole thing feels like a terrorist event, and so it’s got the grimness of that, and then when the head of the Statue of Liberty seems to have been pitched down the street, you know something else is happening. That’s when you realize you’re in the world of a giant monster and that’s this whole thing that pushes it to another level.”
He does acknowledge the theory about a connection between the two worlds is a lot more fun. “I think J.J. had the idea, because he had that poster,” Reeves continued. “’Well what if the head of the Statue of Liberty was thrown down the street?’ So it absolutely was inspired by Escape from New York, but it’s not a secret prequel or related to that.”
But after some hemming and hawing, Reeves doubled down sort of, not really official that “Cloverfield” takes place before “Escape From New York.” “You know what? I’m gonna change my answer, now my answer is yes,” Reeves said.
“Cloverfield” comes to 4K Ultra HD on January 17th. Order it here.
Check out the classic trailer for it below:
