Producer Marty Adelstein and his Tomorrow Studios company has optioned the rights to last year’s indie hitSnowpiercer, to turn it into aTV seriesadaptation.The Hollywood Reporterreveals that screenwriterJosh Friedman(Avatar 2) has been tapped to write the pilot script. No network has been attached to the project at this time. Here’s what Marty Adelstein had to say about bringingJosh Friedmanon board.
“We are very excited to be working withJoshon this incredible story. 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.”
Snowpierceris based on the Frenchgraphic novelentitledLe Transperceneigeby Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette. The story is set years after a globalIce Agedecimated the planet, with the only survivors riding aboard a perpetual motion train known asSnowpiercer.Chris Evansstars as one of the working class citizens who starts a revolt against the elite upper class.John Hurt,Jamie Bell,Tilda Swinton,Ed Harris,Alison PillandOctavia Spencerround out the cast.
Snowpierceronly earned $4.5 million at the domesticbox office, with the film debuting through video on demand formats just two weeks after hittingtheaters. It performed much better overseas, with an international tally of $82.1 million.Joon-ho Bongmade his English-language directorial debut withSnowpiercer, working from a script by Kelly Masterson (Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead).
Joon-ho BongandSnowpiercerfeature producer Dooho Choi are slated to executive produce the TV adaptation with Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements andChan-wook Park, who served as executive producer on the feature. Tomorrow Studios is a partnership between Adelstein and ITV Studios. Here’s whatJosh Friedmanhad to say in his statement.
“I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity. 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, especiallySnowpiercer. 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?”
Marty Adelstein’s Tomorrow Studios produce ABC’sLast Man Standing, NBC’s Aquarius and MTV’sTeen Wolf.Josh Friedmanpreviously created the Fox seriesTerminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and he has also written screenplays for Chain Reaction,War of the Worldsand Black Dahlia. What do you think aboutSnowpiercermoving to the small screen?
