Bong Joon-ho’s critically acclaimed film Parasite was just nominated for multiple awards at the 2020 Oscars, and now fans can see a sneak peek at the director’s next TV project. A trailer for the long-awaited television adaptation of Snowpiercer has arrived, and it’s truly a wild (train) ride through a dystopian future.
TNT’s Snowpiercer is based on the Joon-ho's 2013 Korean film of the same name, which itself was adapted from the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. In the movie, which stars Chris Evans, Octavia Spencer and Tilda Swinton, the last remaining humans must live aboard a moving train named Snowpiercer after an attempt to quell global warming created a perpetually frigid earth. Much like Parasite, the film explores class inequality: While the rich people live at the front of the train and enjoy a life of luxury, those at the back are left to fight over scraps. (Bugs. They eat bugs.)
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The TV version reportedly works more as a reboot of the film upon which it is based and stars Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. Per the description of the series from TNT, “class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival” are all explored in the adaptation. Though there’s only a peek at the violence ahead, there’s certainly something sinister going on within the confines of this train: The trailer utilizes “Pure Imagination,” from 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory hinting that much like in the candy creator's home, not all is well on this escape from the snow.
Aesthetically, the series gives off Hunger Games vibes (Connelly’s teal suit is sort of a toned-down Capitol fashion) with lots of intriguing sci-fi elements. Mostly, though, it’s Connelly’s chilling performance as the voice of the train that is most captivating here. What’s her endgame?
Will the passengers on Snowpiercer outlive the climate crisis, or will the underclass be doomed to live miserably in a metal tube for the rest of their lives? Check out the trailer below to hedge your bets.
Snowpiercer premieres on TNT May 31, 2020.