New York Comic-Con welcomed the cast and creator of TNT’s new Snowpiercer series to the Hammerstein Ballroom on Saturday afternoon. Back in 2013, revolutionary South Korean director Joon-ho Bong (Okja, Parasite) translated acclaimed French graphic novel Le Transperceneige into a groundbreaking post-apocalyptic adventure film starring Chris Evans. From that, Graeme Manson (Cube, Orphan Black) created the new TV series, which will debut on TNT in the Spring of 2020. The story of a globe-spanning train with 1001 cars carrying the remainder of humanity after a climate-change disaster is rife with socio-political and class commentary and deals with many issues facing the world of today.
The months-long stand-off between independent film world titan Harvey Weinstein and South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (The Host) over the length of the director’s preferred cut of his English-language debut Snowpiercer has finally been resolved.
The film’s planned U.S. theatrical release had been held up for quite some time as Weinstein had made known his intentions to substantially shorten the running time of Snowpiercer by around 20 minutes, a strategy the Oscar-winning producer and distributor believed would help its chances at finding a wider audience Stateside. Rumors had been floated that the re-cut version would feature added narration written by famed comics scribe and novelist Neil Gaiman (Sandman) to help bridge narrative gaps that would have been created by the loss of several scenes crucial to the story.
Snowpiercer is somewhere in my top 10 most anticipated films of 2013. If you haven’t heard of it, well, it’s because the small sci-fi thriller of sorts directed by The Host‘s Joon-ho Bong has gone under most people’s radars. Not so much as of a leaked photo has even made it online. But now we are getting a better look at the film, which takes place in a world where a failed experiment caused catastrophic climate changes that forced its inhabitants to live aboard a giant train that braves against the harsh perpetual winter.
Starring in Bong’s American debut are Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Ewen Bremner, Alison Pill, John Hurt, and Ed Harris. In addition to those actors, The Host star Kang-ho Song also has a role in the film and is featured in this newly released movie still. Also released was more concept art, which you can see here below.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press