The yet to be aired Snowpiercer TV show is getting too overconfident
By Rachel Roth
Snowpiercer the TV show has moved to a different network, and despite obvious reasons against it, has just gotten an early Season 2 renewal.
What is going on? All the magnificent TV shows that get canceled and a show that hasn’t even aired yet and won’t air for another year, gets an approved Season 2? Can we take that renewal and give it to a show that needs it like Shadowhunters or Hannibal?
There are multiple reasons why this premature season renewal sounds absurd, largely because the series in question seems to be copying the movie it’s based on in which they’ve become a non-stop train going nowhere.
Based on the 2013 film Snowpiercer, directed by Bong Joon-ho, that was in turn adapted from the French graphic novel, “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob, the rights for the series was purchased on November 2015 by Tomorrow Studios and in 2018, a pilot was ordered by TNT. Since then, it’s been a game of will they or won’t they as the series quickly became overrun with production problems and showrunner drama that has delayed its release.
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To sum it up, a pilot was written by Josh Friedman and directed by Scott Derrickson. However, Friedman left the project over “creative differences,” though he claimed it was because he wasn’t being “compliant” enough, and Graeme Manson took over.
Friedman didn’t take his replacement or the new changes well and took to Twitter to complain. Sounds like a turf war around the elementary school swing sets.
Now, the show has also lost its home network. It was originally set to air on TNT but on May 15, 2019, the series was then moved to TBS, a network most known for their comedies, and pushed back to a 2020 release date. TBS is famous for being a comedy network but according to the WarnerMedia press release, TBS wants to start a new lineup of drama series, starting with Snowpiercer as their ice-breaker.
"“Snowpiercer is the perfect show to kick-off TBS’ entry into dramas with intricate storytelling, stunning visuals and first-class acting,” said Brett Weitz, general manager for TBS and TNT. “We believe in the longevity of this series and that audiences will be amazed by the fantastical world that brings to life such relevant social, political and environmental issues.”"
They reportedly started filming Season 1 back in 2017 and reshoots for the pilot were completed by January of 2019, yet the whole thing feels like it’s in a dead zone held up by a pair of phantom hands. Seems to be there, but you can’t see or feel them. There is no exact air date, no episode count, no trailer, no promotional images, and no BTS leaked photos. All they got is a cast, some bumpy scripts and apparently some reshoot footage.
Despite this, the writing for Season 2 will begin this June and one of the supporting actors, Rowan Blanchard, has already been elevated into series regular for Season 2. They’ve either finished Season 1 or they’re getting way ahead of themselves.
Snowpiercer is set seven years after the world went into an ice age and follows the remnants of humanity who live inside a continuously moving train that circles the globe. Just as they did in the film, class warfare, social injustice and politics will play out as the world’s last remaining inhabitants are confined to limited living space. If the series is following the film’s timeline then it should be set in 2021, 10 years before the start of the film.
If this is the case, then there’s a chance the series might dive into the immediate aftermath of the Revolt of the Seven that was mentioned in the film. Three years after the world froze, seven passengers attempted a revolution and jumped off the train, only to freeze to death. Since the series is set just four years after the Revolt of the Seven took place, there’s a chance it might have an impact on the plot.
Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Mickey Sunner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand, and Jaylin Fletcher will star in the series.
Snowpiercer is currently set to air sometime in spring 2020.