Bong Joon-Ho’s Snowpiercer Finds A Home
Three of South Korea’s most acclaimed directors are set to release their English-language debuts in the next year. Kim Ji-woon’s (I Saw the Devil) The Last Stand is first out of the gate in January. We have Park Chan-wook’s (Oldboy) Stoker after that in February. And now that Bong Joon-ho’s (The Host) post-apocalyptic adventure Snowpiercer has been picked up by the Weinstein Company, we may have that to look forward to in 2013 as well.
After an experiment to reverse global warming kicks off a new ice age that destroys most of the remaining life on the planet, all that remains is a train called the Snowpiercer. Endlessly circling the frozen wastes, Snowpiercer, powered by a perpetual motion engine, is home to the last vestiges of the human race. Within the confines of the train, survivors come into conflict as a class system develops, and discontent and rebellion threaten to boil over.
Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceinge, the action thriller has a lot going for it. Such a constricted setting enhances the inherent tension of being the last humans alive, and magnifies any existing conflict. The cast is great, including Chris Evans, John Hurt, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, Alison Pill, and Ewen Bremner. Bong is at the top of his game as a director—he also adapted the screenplay along with Kelly Masterson (Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead).
Harvey Weinstein says, “Snowpiercer is the amazing vision of Bong Joon Ho…With a stellar cast led by Chris Evans, we look forward to bringing this action-packed thriller to audiences worldwide.”
While there is no set release date yet, we’ll likely see Snowpiercer in theaters sometime later next year.
