SNOWPIERCER (Best Picture from Boston Online Film Critics; Dragonlord's Review)

Update: February 3, 2014

Dragonlord's Review of SNOWPIERCER (No Spoilers)

Bottom Line: Riveting, thought-provoking and somewhat flawed, Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer is a bold, eccentric post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller suffused with captivating imagery, contemplative social themes and a superb international cast.



In 2013, three of the current hottest Korean filmmakers made their English-language directorial debut: Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Thirst, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) with Stoker, Kim Jee-woon (I Saw the Devil, The Good, the Bad, the Weird) with The Last Stand, and Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Mother, Memories of Murder) with Snowpiercer. Among the three, Snowpiercer was the most interesting by far. I first read the premise two years ago and I already couldn't wait to see the finished film.

Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, the ambitious sci-fi film takes place in the near future where a failed experiment to stop global warming resulted in freezing the Earth in an eternal blizzard. The only human survivors are on board the Snowpiercer, a sophisticated train that travels around the world and powered by a perpetual-motion engine. Over time a social stratification formed where the elite at the front cars live in luxury while the impoverished masses are crammed at the rear of the train.

Curtis (Chris Evans) leads the oppressed in a revolt to take over the locomotive and confront the reclusive transport magnate Wilford at the very front of the train. Evans gives a terrific performance as the calm rebel leader with a mysterious past. The actor exudes a natural commanding presence which was ironically absent in his previous two Captain America feature appearances. Evans is surrounded by a magnificent international cast, including John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner and Allison Pill, with each bringing their A-game.

Like the the train they're riding on, the film is constantly moving forward with the insurgents advancing from car to car, each presenting new alluring and bizarre environments and personalities. Among the many colorful memorable characters on board is the loathsome Mason, one of the aristocratic leaders and wonderfully portrayed by Tilda Swinton. Sporting a distinct Yorkshire accent, false teeth, flamboyant outfit, mesmerizing hand/body gestures and overall eerie appearance, the Academy Award winning actress shapes Mason into an unforgettable repellent villain.

The key to the mutineers' plans is the drug-addicted Korean engineer, played by Song Kang-ho (a Bong Joon-ho regular), who designed the train's inter-carriage doors. The junkie security expert agrees to help the rebels in exchange for Kronol, an addictive drug, for him and his female companion Yona, played by Go Ah-sung (who played Kang-ho's daughter in The Host). The Korean pair gives the film some much needed comical moments as they haggle and scramble for their next fix. When the revolutionaries unlock one of the doors that leads them face to face with frightful balaclava-wearing axe gang, it sets the stage for one of the most powerful thrilling action sequences in the film. Marco Beltrami's haunting score augments the action and strengthens Bong's unique vision for the film.

Riveting and thought-provoking, Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer is a bold dystopian post-apocalyptic thriller permeated with captivating imagery, contemplative social themes and a superb international cast. A few questionable science fiction elements and the perplexing bad ending (see spoilers below) threaten to derail the whole experience but like the mythical locomotive, Snowpiercer powers through these obstacle with its extensive positive qualities. Simpy put, one of the best sci-fi films I've seen in recent years.

Rating: 9/10

Spoiler: Spoiler thoughts inside

My no. 1 complaint is Song Kang-ho's dumb master plan of going out of the train. Sure the ice is melting gradually but it's not up to the point where the land is remotely habitable. If they did get out, where will they get food? Equally ridiculous is his idea that a fur coat is enough to survive the cruel climate. Everything they need to survive is on the train, just wait until the snow drastically dissipates before thinking of getting off the locomotive. Plus, blowing up the car door was stupid since it would have caused the train to derail or worst and ended up killing everyone including themselves.

The ending with the polar bear is meant to show hope that there is life outside of the train. Still back to my original complaint that the environment is still very harsh to live on and no guarantees where their food supply will come from. In fact, the Korean teenager and the black kid could end up being dinner for the polar bear.

Ed Harris' brief explanation on his reasoning why the need for the guise and dramatics (people need a level of fear, anxiety, and so on in their lives) is not totally convincing. I think there is a better and more effective way to implement his goals. I actually support Harris, just not his methods. It's his train, if you don't like it, leave. The people inside the train are all that remains of humanity. So maintaining the train is top priority. He needs little kids to replace the mechanical parts, then so be it. I think they should have indoctrinated everybody from the very start (just like what they're doing with the elite kids in the front car) and it is every child's sacred duty to serve as a spare part for a number of months. As for the overpopulation problem, I think there's an efficient way to handle this (brainwashing and whatnot) rather than orchestrating a risky revolt.

17 years ago John Hurt sacrificed his arm and became the leader of the rear train. At the end, Curtis lost his arm while saving the kid. It would have been more symbolic if Curtis had lived and became the leader of the survivors.

 

Update: June 28, 2014

Critics Review of Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Approval Rating (63 out of 68 critics like it)

Consensus: Snowpiercer offers an audaciously ambitious action spectacular for filmgoers numb to effects-driven blockbusters.




Entertainment Weekly - A
When a cinematic vision as boldly original and weirdly idiosyncratic as Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer arrives amid all the wheezy sameness, attention must be paid. If you think that Bong felt pressure to play it safe in his English-language debut, guess again. He seems to have built his bizarre bullet-train world with total unfettered freedom. Watching it, I was reminded of the first time I experienced The Matrix or District 9. Snowpiercer sucks you into its strange, brave new world so completely, it leaves you with the all too rare sensation that you've just witnessed something you've never seen before...and need to see again and again.


Rolling Stone - 3.5/4
Ok, I'm afraid the train is a rattling microcosm of society as we know it. But you can forgive Bong a few ham-fisted lunges at profoundity given the film's sheer visionary splendor. Adapted by Bong and Kelly Masterson (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) from a 1982 French graphic novel, Snowpiercer is everything Transformers: Age of Extinction wishes it could be: a slambam sci-fi thriller with a brain, a heart and an artful sense of purpose. You're in for a wild whoosh of a ride.


USA Today - 3.5/4
Snowpiercer is a rare hybrid that perfectly blends the dazzle of a futuristic action thriller with the intellectual substance of an art film. An ambitious and stylish sci-fi epic, its vivid production design brings to mind Brazil and Blade Runner, with narrative tinges of The Truman Show and Children of Men. One of the most aesthetically stunning and fascinating action films in recent years, Snowpiercer is an unnerving adventure, a riveting and powerful allegory with inventive futuristic flourishes.


Reeling Reviews - A
Director Bong Joon-ho ("The Host," "Mother"), in his English language debut, has created a masterpiece of action adventure science fiction fueled by a terrific international cast. Its visually inventive production design/art direction (Ondrej Nekvasil and Stefan Kovacik) may recall "Brazil," its story - to a point - "Saw II," a haunted house carnage where each train car reveals something worse than the one before, but Joon-ho has more on his mind than startling imagery and violence and his climax is both breathtaking and an emotional gut punch.

 

Update: May 8, 2014

Fantastic First U.S. Trailer for Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER



After months of international trailers and clips, The Weinstein Company has finally released an official domestic Snowpiercer red-band trailer. Directed by Bong Joon-ho (The Host), the story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train. This debut U.S. trailer is absolutely fantastic, as it sells both the topical social commentary and the thrilling visuals in equal measure.

Snowpiercer was completed in 2013 and released in Korea last August, but — though the film was a blockbuster there — it was purchased by The Weinstein Company, who thought the film was too long at 126 minutes. The Weinsteins had success convincing Wong Kar-Wai to trim his film The Grandmaster by over 20 minutes, so there was hope that Bong Joon-ho would concede. He did not, and so the film was delayed for over a year. The film stars Chris Evans, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Snowpiercer opens in theaters uncut on June 27th.

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First U.S. Red-Band Trailer for Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER

Comments: This red-band trailer is absolutely amazing, from the quick edits to the thrilling score to Tilda Swinton's speech in the background. If you're already convinced of seeing this film, it's probably best to not watch this trailer since it contains lots of spoiler-ish footage.
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Update: March 6, 2014

SNOWPIERCER Will Finally Be Released on June 27th in the U.S.



Snowpiercer, from writer-director Bong Joon-ho, and starring Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, and Tilda Swinton, will make its U.S. debut on June 27th in limited release. Snowpiercer has already played all around the world, but it looks like we’ll finally get to take a look at it for ourselves when it graces American shores this June. Though it’s opening that weekend in limited release, it does so opposite Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. The other problem is that The Weinstein Company agreed on releasing the director’s cut of the film, but in a strategy that increases the number of theaters it plays in each week being contingent upon box office performance.

In other words, if Transformers drowns it out, Snowpiercer might never come to your home town. Hopefully we’ll still see the internationally well-received director’s cut on home video. Also starring Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung, Snowpiercer takes place in a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet. A class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.


Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER Will Finally Be Released on June 27th in the U.S.
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Update: February 7, 2014

SNOWPIERCER to Be Finally Released in the U.S. Uncut, But...



The saga of releasing Bong Joon-ho‘s post-apocalyptic action film Snowpiercer has come to a close. For months, there’s been wrangling behind the scenes between Bong and producer Harvey Weinstein about which cut to release in the U.S. Bong, obviously, wants his cut, which was a huge hit when it was released in his native South Korea last August. Weinstein wanted twenty minutes removed to put a heavier emphasis on the action. It started to look like the film would remain stuck on the shelf (Weinstein has been known to do that), but today they’ve come to a reasonable compromise.

According to Deadline, Bong’s contract with The Weinstein Company stated that the movie would get a wide release, but Weinstein felt that the movie was too long at “just beyond two and one-half hours”. The compromise between the two parties is that Bong’s original cut will make its way into the U.S., but it will receive a platform release with an expanding roll out based on the film’s box office success. At the very least, even if the film doesn’t come to your city, the home release will presumably still be Bong’s cut.


SNOWPIERCER Will Remain Intact for the U.S. but Will Receive Limited Release
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Update: January 9, 2014

New Japanese Trailer for SNOWPIERCER Features New Footage



The legend of Bong Joon-ho‘s Snowpiercer is beginning to eclipse the actual movie. The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train. Snowpiercer was a hit in Bong’s native South Korea, and it’s slowly rolling out to other territories. However, behind-the-scenes wrangling continues between Bong and U.S. distributor The Weinstein Company.

Harvey Weinstein wants a shorter, more action-oriented cut, while Bong obviously wants to keep his cut intact. The result is that we currently don’t know what we’ll get or when we’ll get it. As we wait, new trailers continue to roll out, and a new one from Japan features plenty of fresh footage, and a heavy emphasis on the movie’s protagonist, Curtis (Chris Evans). The film also stars Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Alison Pill, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Snowpiercer opens in Japan on February 7th.




Japanese Trailer for SNOWPIERCER Features Lots of New Footage

 

Update: September 19, 2013

French Trailer for SNOWPIERCER Features Lots of New Footage



A French trailer has been released for Bong Joon-ho‘s Snowpiercer, and it provides our best look at the movie yet. The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train. This trailer provides not only a clearer picture of the plot, but also tons of visual effects we haven’t seen before. It also has Alison Pill firing an automatic weapon, so that’s fun too.

Overall, Snowpiercer looks like an exhilarating ride, but we’ll have to see if we get the original South Korean cut or a shorter, dumbed-down version The Weinstein Company wants for U.S. distribution. The film also stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Snowpiercer currently does not have a U.S. release date. The film premiered in Bong’s native South Korea last month, and was a big hit at the box office.




French Trailer for SNOWPIERCER Features Lots of New Footage
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Update: August 29, 2013

Bong Joon-ho Talks Weinstein’s Forced Cuts to SNOWPIERCER



A few weeks ago, it was reported that U.S. distributor The Weinstein Company was forcing director Bong Joon-ho to trim twenty minutes out of his hit South Korean film, Snowpiercer, to make it more palatable to U.S. audiences. It was an insult to both to Bong and to the potential audience especially since Snowpiercer may be a smart movie, but at the very least, Nevertheless, Harvey Weinstein wants twenty minutes gone and opening and closing voiceovers. Bong was recently reached for comment on the forced edits. Speaking to Xin MSN [via Bleeding Cool], Joon-ho says:

"I came here after editing for the American version. I’ve never produced a new version for overseas premieres, and this is the first time I’m making a new version. Weinstein is actually being pretty soft toward editing, probably because it’s noticed how critics have praised the film and know how angry movie fans get over new edits. They even asked me which parts I want to include in the film."


Director Bong Joon-ho Talks The Weinstein Company’s Forced Cuts to SNOWPIERCER
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Update: August 5, 2013

Harvey Weinstein Thinks You Are Too Dumb For SNOWPIERCER



Once news broke that The Weinstein Company had acquired international rights to Bong Joon-ho's hotly anticipated Snowpiercer, it was perhaps inevitable that the film wouldn't make it to western screens unscathed. It has now been revealed that Harvey Weinstein has ordered the revered Korean filmmaker to cut a whopping 20 minutes from his film before it will see the light of day in North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand or the UK.

According to film critic and programmer Tony Rayns "[The Weinsten Company] people have told Bong that their aim is to make sure the film 'will be understood by audiences in Iowa ... and Oklahoma.'" Effectively, the notorious Hollywood executive believes the American mid-west is too stupid for Snowpiercer, a movie which essentially chronicles the journey of a few people at the back of a train who stage a revolt and proceed, in a straight line, towards the front.

Rayns continued, "Leaving aside the issue of what Weinstein thinks of its audience, it seems to say the least anomalous that the rest of the English-speaking world has to be dragged down to the presumed level of American mid-west hicks." The film critic attended the July 29th Seoul premiere of the film, and after speaking with Bong, revealed that most of the cuts would come in the form of character detail, effectively turning this rich sci-fi thriller into a straightforward action film. Adding further insult to injury, voiceovers will now be added to the opening and closing of the film.

Weinstein (or Harvey Scissorhands as he's known in some quarters) is well known for cutting and dumbing down foreign films for the US market, such as Princess Mononoke (1997) and Shaolin Soccer (2001). Snowpiercer, though 126 minutes long, doesn't have a great deal of flab which could easily be cut out. [posted first by Ablis89]


Harvey Weinstein Thinks You Are Too Dumb For Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER
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Update: August 4, 2013

First Sherdog Review of SNOWPIERCER By Pugilistic



Pugilistic: "I live in Korea so I got to see it last night. Overall I enjoyed it and was quite engrossed in it. One of the better movies I've seen this year. The story is nothing mind blowing and reminiscent of other movies, but after being burned out on summer blockbusters that just have shit blowing up, it was a breath of fresh air.

It's not perfect, and it definitely has some flaws, but I think I focused on them more because I think this movie has potential and could've been even better. A lot happens in this movie so it's hard to discuss it without mentioning spoilers but I'll be as vague as possible. I think in the first act there is a lack of buildup and the viewer is sort of dragged into the movie, although this could be deliberate. I think they tried to cram in way too many elements in the movie and not everything is fleshed out or explained. Some of the scenes don't seem to make much sense or coherent with the rest of the movie. However, because there is so much happening in this movie, it may take another viewing to properly process it all.

Another thing that may be odd was that they really seemed to want you to know that this is Korean production in the opening credits, although they might change that in foreign releases. Hell, the posters here are mostly of Song Kangho although Evans is the lead. There are also some tidbits of Korean influence that I thought were amusing.

I didn't mind Chris Evans but I think someone with better acting chops would've owned his role better. There's one scene in particular that is supposed to powerful and emotional but felt flat. Song was adequate in it but seemed out of place at times. On the other hand, Harris was good and Swinton owned the shit out of her role.

The movie was also surprisingly violent and I loved it. The scene in the trailer with the guys in ski masks with axes is so awesome. I just wish it wasn't so dark most of the time and the camera wasn't so shaky. A lot of the times it's hard to tell what's going on but that may have been deliberate to maintain a rating. Ironically, the gun fight scenes were much more clear and very well done. The sound effects were authentic and when the guns came out you could definitely feel their power.

Despite the flaws, overall good movie. Definitely worth a watch."

Rating: 8/10

 

Update: August 4, 2013

SNOWPIERCER Leads Biggest Box Office Weekend in Korea



This first weekend in August is always a busy time in Korea and though this one was poised to post massive figures, few could have foreseen just how big it would be. Roughly 4.5 million tickets were sold this weekend, the first time the Fri-Sun frame has ever crossed the 4 million mark in Korea. By comparison, last year's powerful The Thieves-led frame brought in 3.69 million viewers. Even better news was a strong 80% (versus 58% in 2012) local market share, driven by a pair of huge new domestic hits.

Early reservations are down from 70% on Wednesday to 50% today, so Snowpiercer won't stay flat this coming weekend, like previous Korean blockbusters have been known to do, but it seems in good shape for another massive haul. With $21 million banked already (mostly in distributor CJ's own theater chain CGV) and another $20 million in presales to foreign territories, Snowpiercer has almost recouped its $39.6 million budget, the highest in Korean film history. Looking ahead, a 7-8 million admission total seems assured while 10 million is very much a possibility. However, while a lot of the word of mouth has been strong, there are many people who were not keen on Bong's latest opus, which will likely prevent this from topping his own The Host, which scored 13 million admissions in 2006.


Box Office Report: Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer Leads Biggest Weekend in Korea's History
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Update: July 22, 2013

First Reviews for SNOWPIERCER Are Overwhelmingly Positive



Variety - An enormously ambitious, visually stunning and richly satisfying futuristic epic from the gifted Korean genre director Bong Joon-ho. Throughout, Bong gets away with much that he almost surely would have had to curtail if working at an American studio. For starters, the pic’s pacing is more measured than most of its type, but never slack, with lots of time taken out for nuanced, character-building scenes that increase our level of emotional involvement. Important backstories are deployed only gradually, constantly shifting our sense of who the characters are and what motivates them. (As in “The Host,” too, all bets are off on who dies and who gets to live.) By the end, the film reveals itself as a surprisingly thoughtful contemplation of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man, and whether mankind is worth trying to save at all. Somber stuff, to be sure, but not without flashes of hope, and a steady infusion of Bong’s dark, quirky humor.

Twitch - Cinema is a medium of motion and if anyone understands this, it appears to be Bong Joon-ho, whose visionary new work is a demented and stunning thrillride. In his first production outside his native South Korea, Bong has delivered his most ambitious project yet, and proves more than capable of handling an international, multilingual cast and a large budget. Following the disappointment of Kim Jee-woon's The Last Stand and the lukewarm reception of Park Chan-wook's meticulous chamber piece Stoker, Bong Joon-ho has created with Snowpiercer the most accomplished overseas work of any Korean filmmaker to-date. While it remains to be seen whether or not mainstream western audiences will embrace Bong's dark and ferocious genre film, in many ways he's already beaten Hollywood at its own game. A tour de force of science fiction, Snowpiercer is a singular and breathtaking cinematic experience.


First Reviews for SNOWPIERCER Are In and They're Overwhelmingly Positive

 

Update: November 9, 2012

Weinstein Acquires English-Language Rights to SNOW PIERCER



The Weinstein Company has picked up the English-language rights to the thriller Snow Piercer from South Korea’s CJ Entertainment. Made at this year’s AFM, the deal for the multiple territory acquisition of the future-set film was in the seven figures. Weinstein Company will distribute Snow Piercer in North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The English-language directorial debut of Bong Joon-ho, the movie stars The Avengers’ Chris Evans, Ed Harris, The Help’s Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton and Song-Kang-ho.

Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson wrote the screenplay based on the graphic novel Le Transperceneige. The movie is set in the not too distant future where a new Ice Age has wiped out most of the human race. With a revolt brewing onboard, the Snow Piercer is a train of Earth’s lone survivors that travels around the cold world. There is no release date set yet for Snow Piercer but sources say a wide Summer 2013 release looks likely.


The Weinstein Company Acquires English-Language Rights to SNOW PIERCER
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Update: September 21, 2012

Chris Evans Talks SNOWPIERCER, Calls Bong Joon-ho a Genius



Chris Evans: “It takes place in the future. The whole world was frozen over and all of society lives on a train. It is kind of like an allegory for social classes and class warfare. The poorest people are in the back of the train and as you move forward in the train the classes rise. And there is a revolt, a revolution from the people in the back to the front of the train. We have such a good cast: Tidla Swinton, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, and John Hurt. It was just a great experience.

Director Bong has storyboards laid out so that…he has already edited it in his brain. For example, we will shoot the first line on you. We will shoot the second line on me. We will shoot the third line over here and you say, ‘Wait a minute. Don’t you want the whole scene here?’ and he is like. ‘No. Don’t need it.’ He has already committed to an edit. It is brilliant. It is borderline genius. It’s like building a house and instead of needing a bag of nails, it is like saying, ‘I need 53 nails.’ It is literally committing to a vision ahead of time. The trust that you feel is like, ‘God, this guy is operating on another plane.’ And I completely surrendered to it. You just completely commit to his vision and trust that he knows exactly what he is doing because he does.”


Chris Evans Talks About SNOWPIERCER, Praises Stellar Cast and Director Bong Joon-ho
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Update: February 2, 2012

John Hurt, Octavia Spencer Join Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER



Hot off her SAG win for best supporting actress, The Help's Octavia Spencer has joined the cast of Snow Piercer, the high-profile sci-fi indie project being directed by Bong Joon-Ho. Chris Evans, John Hurt and Tilda Swinton already are on board, as is Korean actor Kang Ho Song, who starred in Joon-Ho’s international breakthrough, the Korean monster movie The Host.

Snow Piercer, which Joon-Ho co-scripted, is set in a future where, after a failed experiment to stop global warming, an Ice Age kills off all life on the planet except for the inhabitants of the Snow Piercer, a train that travels around the globe and is powered by a sacred perpetual-motion engine. A class system evolves on the train but a revolution brews. Spencer plays a passenger on the train who joins the revolt in order to save her son.


Oscar Frontrunner Octavia Spencer to Star in Sci-Fi Thriller 'Snow Piercer'
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Update: January 17, 2012

Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell Join Bong Joon-ho's SNOW PIERCER



Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin) are also poised to star alongside Chris Evans in Snow Piercer, an indie drama by writer/director Bong Joon-ho (The Host) and producer Park Chan-wook (Oldboy). The basic plot of Snow Piercer follows a group of train travelers learning to co-exist in a new ice age. Production is scheduled to start in March though a distributor is not yet in place. Snow Piercer will mark the domestic directorial debut for Bong Joon-ho, whose film The Host was South Korea’s highest grossing film of all time.

News of potential cast members joining Snow Piercer comes via Variety. Apparently, the project is based off of French comic, “Le Transperceneige” by Jean-Marc Rochette. The train in the comic is comprised of 1001 cars carrying the last surviving humans on Earth after a devastating nuclear war. Swinton, who is fresh off a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin, can next be seen in Wes Anderson’s quirk-fest, Moonrise Kingdom.


Tilda Swinton and Jamie Bell to Join Bong Joon-ho's Sci-Fi Thriller SNOW PIERCER
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Update: January 14, 2012

Chris Evans to Star in Bong Joon-ho's Sci-Fi Pic SNOW PIERCER



Chris Evans is setting down the shield for a moment, as the Captain America star is in negotiations to star in the indie Snow Piercer from director Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Mother). Joon-ho also wrote the script with Park Chan-wook, director of the original Korean cult classic Oldboy, producing. Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, the story follows a train full of travelers who struggle to co-exist set in a world covered in snow and ice.

Snow Piercer also marks Joon-ho's US directorial debut and he is already drawing the attention of handful of top-tier Hollywood talent. Production is expected to start in March, though no distribution is yet in place. Chan-wook just wrapped production on his domestic directorial debut Stoker with Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode.

Evans is still striving for balance in the projects he chooses and has thus far avoided stereotyping himself as just an action star. Though he can be seen next in Marvel's The Avengers, Evans is currently filming the indie The Ice Man about famous mob hitman Richard Kuklinski and was also just seen in the drama Puncture.


Chris Evans Set to Star in Bong Joon-Ho's US Directorial Debut, SNOW PIERCER

 

Update: July 22, 2013

Watch the R-rated Animated Prequel Shortfor SNOWPIERCER



While The Weinstein Company continues to keep Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer on a still undetermined place on their future slate, the movie is gearing up to open in South Korea. We've already seen a good handful of teasers, pics and previews of the movie, but finally some folks seen the film in its entirety. Yes, the first couple of reviews are in and it looks like the director of The Host and Mother has hit a homerun.

There's no U.S. release date for the film. Let's hope these rave reviews spur Harvey Weinstein to least get Snowpiercer on the festival circuit stateside this fall. So until then, here is an animated prequel short that sets up the world of the film, where the remaining survivors of a ravaged Earth now reside a train, where class distinctions are still maintained, until a revolt brews.




Watch the R-rated Animated Prequel Short Film for SNOWPIERCER
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Update: July 5, 2013

New International Trailer and Six Featurettes for SNOWPIERCER



A couple days ago, we got some cool images from Bong Joon-ho‘s Snowpiercer, which showcased the film’s setting, a post-apocalyptic train divided into classes. A new 60-second international trailer has been released highlighting the revolution the lower classes are bringing against the passengers at the front, and there are also six new featurettes that take us even deeper into the movie.

The featurettes provide interviews with the actors, Bong, and the South Korean crew members. Unfortunately, only the interviews with the English-speaking actors are in English—there are no English subtitles for the Korean speakers. However, these featurettes are still worth watching, and one of them gives us our first look at Alison Pill, who we hadn’t seen in either posters or passports. We learn that she plays a teacher in one of the upper classes of the train.

The film also stars Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Snowpiercer opens in South Korean on August 1st. No U.S. release date has been announced. Click on the spoiler tag to see the 6 featurettes:

Spoiler

New 60-Second Trailer and 6 Featurettes for Bong Joon-ho’s SNOWPIERCER
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Update: June 12, 2013

First International Trailer for Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER



The first trailer has been released for Bong Joon-ho‘s sci-fi thriller, Snowpiercer. The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train. Joon-ho and Kelly Masterson wrote the screenplay based on the graphic novel Le Transperceneige.

The trailer showcases a lot more action than expected as the lower-classes, led by Chris Evans‘ character, attempt a revolution by taking control of the train’s engines. The film also stars The film also stars John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Snowpiercer opens on August 1st in South Korea, but no U.S. release date has been announced yet.




First International Trailer for Bong Joon-ho's SNOWPIERCER
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Update: April 29, 2013

Behind-the-Scenes Footage from Bong Joon-ho’s SNOWPIERCER



Over the last several months, we’ve been getting glimpses of Bong Joon-ho‘s upcoming sci-fi film, Snowpiercer. Today, the first footage has been released via an international behind-the-scenes featurette. The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train.

The featurette is dubbed in Korean, but you can still see that there’s going to be some action involved, especially on the part of an axe-wielding Chris Evans. The film also stars John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung.




First Behind-the-Scenes Footage from Bong Joon-ho’s SNOWPIERCER

 

Update: April 15, 2013

Nine International Character Posters for SNOWPIERCER



Nine international character posters have been released for Snowpiercer, the English-language debut of Korean director Bong Joon-ho (The Host). The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train.

The posters all provide the first hint of a release date by listing “Summer 2013″. However, since these are international posters, we don’t know if that’s summer for the U.S., other countries, or both. The film stars Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song, and Ko Asung. Click HERE to see all the character posters.
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Update: April 5, 2013

Promo Passports Reveal the First Look at SNOWPIERCER Cast



Snowpiercer is bound to be one of the coolest sci-fi movies of the year. We've also barely seen anything of it. Today that changes a bit. The English-language debut of South Korean director Joon-ho Bong (The Host, Memories of Murder) is about a high tech train that was built to circle the planet after life on earth is killed due to a man-made ice age. On board are what remains of the human race, already being torn apart by a class system that's about to spark a revolution. They also happen to be played by one of the most impressive ensemble casts in recent memory: Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song and Ko Asung.

We have our first look at most of that incredible cast by way of some cool of promotional materials: their character's passport for the Snowpiercer. Most of the text on them is in Korean, but it is the first time we're seeing their character's names and what kind of class of passenger they are. Combine this with the concept art and score sample they've released and Snowpiercer is one of the most anticipated sci-fi film this year no one has heard about.

Click HERE to see the 10 promotional passports for Snowpiercer.
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Update: March 3, 2013

Ed Harris on His SNOWPIERCER Role, Working with Bong Joon-ho



Ed Harris: "I saw three of director Bong’s movies and I said, “I want to do this. I don’t care what he’s asking me to do because he’s a really great filmmaker.” His friend and fellow filmmaker is director Park, who did Stoker. I met director Park when I was in Prague. He came by the set and actually produced director Bong’s film. He seemed like a really interesting guy, and Oldboy just blew me away."

"I play a guy who owns and runs a train. You don’t see me until the end. There’s a revolution going on with all the poor people that starts in the back of the train and moves its way forward. They finally get up to the front where I’m at. It was trippy. The sets were unbelievable. They had these big train cars that they build on a soundstage, and the whole thing was on this gimble deal. I hope the film works. I can’t see that it won’t, but it was amazing.

That was really a trip, working on that. His whole way of working is so different. He’ll just shoot bits of a scene at a time. Normally, you’ll shoot a master and shoot the whole scene on one person and then shoot the whole scene on another, but he’ll shoot a little bit one way, and then shoot a couple lines another way. He just constantly gets the pieces that he knows he wants. And he had the editing thing down below the stage where the trains were, and the editor was cutting while he was shooting. It was out there."


Ed Harris Talks About His Role in SNOWPIERCER and Working with Bong Joon-ho
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Update: January 2, 2013

First Concept Art and Snippet Score for SNOWPIERCER



Snowpiercer is flying under the radar at the moment. The story is set in a new ice age caused by a failed experiment to stop global warming that killed virtually all life on the planet. The sole survivors live on a train called Snowpiercer—powered by a perpetual machine—who struggle with the class system implemented on the train. That’s almost too much premise, but the man in charge is Korean writer/director Bong Joon-ho.

Bong has shown a skilled hand with extraordinary story beats over his last two features, Mother and The Host, and hired the kind of balanced ensemble a director must dream of for his English-language debut: Chris Evans, Song Kangho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Bremner, Alison Pill, John Hurt, and Ed Harris. Below is a bit of the score by Marco Beltrami:




First Concept Art and Snippet Score for Bong Joon-ho’s SNOWPIERCER

 

Update: January 15, 2013

New Concept Art from Post-Apocalyptic Thriller SNOWPIERCER

A few concept art from Bong Joon-ho's post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer have landed online. The film is set in a future where, after a failed experiment to stop global warming, an Ice Age kills off all life on the planet except for the inhabitants of the Snowpiercer, a train that travels around the globe and is powered by a sacred perpetual-motion engine. A class system evolves on the train, where the poorest reside at the back and high society at the front, but a revolution brews. (Images via CBM)

 

Thanks. At first I thought it was a shooped image.

 

Welcome aboard the Snowpiercer War Wagon... I mean, Train.

 

Update: February 6, 2013

New Poster for Bong Joon-ho's Sci-Fi Drama SNOWPIERCER

 

Update: March 3, 2013

Ed Harris on His SNOWPIERCER Role, Working with Bong Joon-ho



Ed Harris: "I saw three of director Bong’s movies and I said, “I want to do this. I don’t care what he’s asking me to do because he’s a really great filmmaker.” His friend and fellow filmmaker is director Park, who did Stoker. I met director Park when I was in Prague. He came by the set and actually produced director Bong’s film. He seemed like a really interesting guy, and Oldboy just blew me away."

"I play a guy who owns and runs a train. You don’t see me until the end. There’s a revolution going on with all the poor people that starts in the back of the train and moves its way forward. They finally get up to the front where I’m at. It was trippy. The sets were unbelievable. They had these big train cars that they build on a soundstage, and the whole thing was on this gimble deal. I hope the film works. I can’t see that it won’t, but it was amazing.

That was really a trip, working on that. His whole way of working is so different. He’ll just shoot bits of a scene at a time. Normally, you’ll shoot a master and shoot the whole scene on one person and then shoot the whole scene on another, but he’ll shoot a little bit one way, and then shoot a couple lines another way. He just constantly gets the pieces that he knows he wants. And he had the editing thing down below the stage where the trains were, and the editor was cutting while he was shooting. It was out there."


Ed Harris Talks About His Role in SNOWPIERCER and Working with Bong Joon-ho

 

Sadly, only a few people are excited about this. I should put Michael Bay on the thread title to get more people to notice, lol.

Maybe more will hop on the bandwago... train when a trailer is released.

 

Update: April 5, 2013

Promotional Passports Reveal the First Look at SNOWPIERCER Cast

Snowpiercer is bound to be one of the coolest sci-fi movies of the year. We've also barely seen anything of it. Today that changes a bit. The English-language debut of South Korean director Joon-ho Bong (The Host, Memories of Murder) is about a high tech train that was built to circle the planet after life on earth is killed due to a man-made ice age. On board are what remains of the human race, already being torn apart by a class system that's about to spark a revolution. They also happen to be played by one of the most impressive ensemble casts in recent memory: Chris Evans, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Alison Pill, Ed Harris, Ewen Bremner, Octavia Spencer, Kang-ho Song and Ko Asung.

We have our first look at most of that incredible cast by way of some cool of promotional materials: their character's passport for the Snowpiercer. Most of the text on them is in Korean, but it is the first time we're seeing their character's names and what kind of class of passenger they are. Combine this with the concept art and score sample they've released and Snowpiercer is one of the most anticipated sci-fi film this year no one has heard about.

 

Chris Evans and Cast Get Passports to the End of the World in First 'Snowpiercer' Images