The last time a television series was set on a speeding train was 1979’s Supertrain, which derailed (sometimes you have to go for the obvious) after only nine of the most expensive episodes of the medium ever produced up to that time. Now, some 37 years later it’s been decided to give the concept another try, only this take is based on the 2013 Chris Evans sci-fi film Snowpiercer, which has been given a pilot order with backup scripts for a potential series by US network TNT about a year after the project was first announced.
What the show and film have in common is that the setting is a new ice age, which was ironically triggered by attempts to counter global warming, and the only surviving members of humanity have no choice but to stay aboard as the vehicle perpetually makes it way around the world. The film was set in 2031, when the Snowpiercer has become something of a generational train. A caste system is firmly locked into place, but it’s heading towards revolution. The show, on the other hand, will be set only seven years after the deep freeze, presumably showing the evolution of this new form of society.
The feature’s director and co-writer, Bong Joon-ho, explained his fascination with the concept by noting, “The first thing that grabbed my attention was the unique cinematic space of a train, and the vision of hundreds of metal pieces moving like a living snake carrying people squirming inside. And the people inside were fighting against each other after being divided into separate and distinct cars — they were not equal in this Noah’s Ark-like contraption that held the last survivors of Earth.”
Overseeing the show is Josh Friedman, whose film credits include writing War Of The Worlds (the Steven Spielberg version) and co-writing the (seemingly forever) forthcoming Avatar 2. He also served as showrunner/executive producer of the TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Snowpiercer has been a source of frustration for UK cinemagoers as the film never managed to reach screens there. Maybe the TV version will serve as solace of some sort? No, we didn't think so either.