I remember the anticipation building over the course of a year to seeSnowpiercer. Based on the French graphic novelLe TransperceneigebyJacques LobandJean-Marc Rochette, the film had an intriguing sci-fi concept (a war between the rich and poor on a train circling the globe), a director (Bong Joon-ho), and cast (includingChris EvansandTilda Swinton). So, now that there’s a television adaptation of this property in the works, there’s already a high standard it needs to meet.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, Tomorrow Studios has optioned the rights to the film, whileAvatar 2and3writerJosh Friedmanis penning the script for the series. The good thing? Friedman seems to be aware that he has big shoes to fill. He said:
I’m a huge fan of director Bong’s films, especiallySnowpiercer. It’s great the way the best sci-fi is great — thoughtful, political, funny, scary and sly. And it’s on a train. A big f—ing train. What more could you want?
Should the series be picked up, it will be based on the film, which sees Evans as a poor train inhabitant fighting his way through the vehicle in an uprising against the rich. It marked Bong’s first English-language film and, since its release, has earned $86.8 million worldwide. The filmmaker, accompanied by his producersDooho ChoiandChan-wook Park, is attached as an executive producer on the series, should it get picked up.
I’m still hesitant to get psyched over something of this nature. I was over theMinority Reportseries, though that’s looking to be the first major network cancellation with a reduced episode order. However, the special effects forSnowpiercerwere minimal, which is attractive to TV and means a good work could be pulled off on a lower budget. Plus, the behind-the-scenes talent is a good sign.
Here’s the official synopsis for the film:
In this sci-fi epic from director Bong Joon-Ho (The Host,Mother), a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet. The final survivors board the SNOWPIERCER, a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine. When cryptic messages incite the passengers to revolt, the train thrusts full-throttle towards disaster.
