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TNT has ordered a pilot based on the 2014 movie ‘Snowpiercer’ in which the remains of humanity live aboard a constantly moving super train after the world is encased in ice after a failed attempt to halt global warming. On board the train, the survivors are lumped into classes with a privileged upper class lording over the downtrodden lower class.

Josh Friedman has been developing the TV version since optioning the rights via Tomorrow Studios in 2015.  Turner’s Studio T is also attached as co-producer.  Friedman (‘The Sarah Conner Chronicles’, ‘War of the Worlds’) will pen the script.

The 2013 film was written and directed by Bong Joon-ho and became the highest grossing movie in his native South Korea.  (It was also the most expensive Korean film project of all time.)  This was Bong’s first English-language project and the cast consisted of huge Korean stars Song Kang-ho and Go Ah-sung with Western stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt and Ed Harris.

The film was critically acclaimed and grossed $86.8M globally, but was not a huge box office hit in English-speaking territories, due to conflicts with distributors The Weinstein Company, who insisted on major changes to the film to appeal to a broader audience.

The TV series will be produced by CJ Entertainment & Media, Korea’s largest movie studio, who also produced the film.  Bong and original film co-executive producer Dooho Choi and producer Chan-wook Park are serving as executive producers on the show.

Sarah Aubrey, Executive VP Original Programming at TNT, said:

“Snowpiercer has one of the most original concepts to hit the screen in the last decade, and it’s one that offers numerous opportunities for deeper exploration in a series format.  We look forward to expanding TNT’s relationship with Tomorrow Studios and their take on a world where humanity is pushed to the extreme.”

Tomorrow Studios CEO Marty Adelstein added:

“TNT has become a great producing partner to Tomorrow Studios and we are excited to continue our relationship with them on Snowpiercer, for which we not only have a pilot but are writing multiple scripts.  This is an incredibly powerful story and one for which finding the perfect home was imperative to its success.”

Despite not making many waves at theaters in 2013, ‘Snowpiercer’ was embraced by science fiction fans and the film did well on home video and digitally.  It was also critically acclaimed and won many awards and found itself on dozens of critics “Best of 2013” lists.

Were you a fan of the film ‘Snowpiercer’?  Are you glad to see the story continue on TNT?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter