Marty Adelstein's Tomorrow Studios has optioned the rights to the 2013 Chris Evans-Tilda Swinton starrer.
Marty Adelstein's Tomorrow Studios sees a future in Snowpiercer.
The 2013 Korean feature film is being adapted as a TV series with Josh Friedman (Sarah Connor Chronicles, War of the Worlds) attached to pen the script for Tomorrow Studios, which has optioned the rights to the film.
The potential series will be based on the 2013 film that was written and directed by Bong Joon Ho in his first English-language production. The movie, which starred Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton is set in a post-apocalyptic Ice Age where the only remaining life on the planet survives aboard a train that travels around the globe. Bong and feature co-producer Dooho Choi are attached to executive produce alongside Adelstein and producing partner Becky Clements. Chan-wook Park, who produced the feature, is also attached as an EP.
The drama hails from Korea's largest movie studio CJ Entertainment & Media, which produced the feature. The sci-fil film is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige.
The feature was released in June 2014 and grossed $4.5 million domestically en route to a $86.8 million worldwide cume after being released on video on demand after only two weeks in release. The film was also was an awards season favorite, picking up nominations from various festivals as well as the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. before landing on multiple top 10 films of the year lists across the country, including THR's Heat Vision.
"We are very excited to be working with Josh on this incredible story," Adelstein said. "As such a prolific and innovative writer he is the ideal person to create a massive new world in this adaptation. This is an expansive, high-concept project and we are thrilled to be a part of reimagining it for television."
For Friedman, Snowpiercer marks his latest TV gig. His credits include NBC's pirate drama Crossbones, comic book adaptation Locke & Key (which did not move beyond the pilot at Fox) and the upcoming Wizard of Oz-themed mini Emerald City. He's repped by UTA and attorney Karl Austen.
"I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity," Friedman said. "Marty and Becky are the perfect partners to help me bring this world to TV. I’m a huge fan of director Bong’s films, especially Snowpiercer. It’s great the way the best sci-fi is great — thoughtful, political, funny, scary and sly. And it’s on a train. A big f—ing train. What more could you want?"
Tomorrow Studios is a partnership between Adelstein and ITV Studios. Should Snowpiercer find a network home, it would join Adelstein-produced series including ABC’s Last Man Standing, NBC’s Aquarius and MTV’s Teen Wolf.
Bong and Choi are with WME and Jonathan Gardner.
Reboots have become all the rage in recent years as broadcast and cable networks look for built-in fan bases in a bid to cut through the increase in scripted programming.
TV Development
