10 Things You Didn’t Know About Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer

The small-screen adaptation of Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer is just a few short weeks away from premiering on TNT.

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, and a huge international supporting cast, Snowpiercer continues the dystopic class divisions on Earth following a major environmental cataclysm. Based on Bong’s splendid 2013 sci-fi film, the thrust of the narrative is set on a massive locomotive that circles a frozen planet Earth. The passengers are divided by their economic status, magnifying the gross societal inequities that exist. With the show ready to premiere on May 17th, here are 10 things you didn’t know about Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer.

10 Caboose Paintings

Although Bong conceived the story and co-wrote the screenplay, Snowpiercer is largely based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige. In a move honoring original illustrator of the graphic novel, Jean-Marc Rochette, Bong included some of the artist’s drawings on the train’s caboose.

Indeed, on the wall in the back of the train, the drawings that can be seen were illustrated by Rochette. Rochette created the original comic along with fellow Frenchmen Jacques Lob and Benjamin Legrande.

9 Chris Evans

When it came time to casting the lead character of Curtis, Bong had serious apprehensions about offering Chris Evans the part. Bong felt Evans was too muscular to aptly portray a severely impoverished citizen relegated to the back of the train. Bong instead came up with a way to obfuscate Evans’ chiseled Captain America physique.

Through careful camera movement and baggy costuming, Bong was able to shroud Evan’s ripped arms and torso. As for Evans’ intent, he personally initiated contact with Bong after learning the film was in the process of casting.

8 North American Poster

Not many fans are aware that the North American poster for Snowpiercer all but gives away Curtis’ (Chris Evans) injurious fate. They might want to take another look.

During the climax of the film, Curtis has the lower part of his left arm excised after a freak accident. The poster for the film shows Curtis front and center with an ax in his right hand, while his left hand is obscured by fellow cast members. Even eerier, a smaller ax above Curtis’ missing appendage can also be seen.

7 Midway Point

In a cheeky self-reference, Bong has a character mention the remaining duration of the film’s runtime in one perfectly timed scene.

Following the first fight in the film, Curtis and Gilliam sit side by side as they catch their breath. Curtis voices his reluctance to guide the mission, inferring that he’s not the right person to serve as the leader. Gilliam glances over and says, “we are not even halfway through it.The line occurs precisely one hour and 23 seconds into the film, leaving one hour and six minutes remaining. Bong is directly telling the audience they have yet to reach the halfway point of the film.

6 Shining Connection

Fans may have noticed the subtle Shining reference Bong imbues the Snowpeircer soundtrack with.

For context, it’s first worth noting that a major plot point in Snowpiercer involves Curtis discovering that Yona is clairvoyant. That is, Yona can envision what lies behind the gate before it’s opened. Remember, The Shining refers to Danny Torrance’s clairvoyant ability to see the future. The linkage continues with the song “Midnight, the Stars, and You,” which is featured in both films.

5 Gilliam

The late great Sir John Hurt played the pivotal role of Gilliam in Snowpiercer, the spiritual guru of the train’s tail section.

Bong paid heartfelt homage to fellow film director Terry Gilliam by naming Hurt’s character after his namesake. Gilliam’s bleak dystopian visions of the future in such iconic films as 12 Monkeys, Brazil, The Zero Theorem serve as direct inspirations for Snowpiercer. Hurt and Gilliam would end up working together five years later in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.

4 Mason & Wilford’s Origin

When it came time to casting characters Mason and Wilford, Bong had to overcome a couple of challenges. First off, Bong wrote the role of Mason with John C. Reilly but ultimately settled on casting Tilda Swinton instead. However, Bong kept the lines in the script referring to Mason as masculine even after Swinton came onboard.

Additionally, Bong could not find the right actor to play Wilford. Finally, Bong’s friend, fellow Korean filmmaker, and Snowpiercer producer Chan-wook Park suggested Ed Harris play the part. Bong agreed on the spot.

3 Revolt Leader

A crucial subplot in Snowpiercer concerns the Frozen Seven, a septet of revolutionaries who spark a revolt three years after the train begins to travel. But what is the identity of The Frozen Seven’s leader?

According to the filmmakers, the leader of the revolt was none other than Namkoong’s wife and Yona’s mother. Of course, the revolt failed, leading to the seven leaping out of the train and freezing to death in the snow. Still, this tidbit explains Namkoong (Kang-ho Song) and Yona’s (Ko Asung) dogged attempt to honor their fallen loved one by continuing to incite revolution.

2 Tilda’s Hidden Role

Fans may not have known Tilda Swinton played a secondary role in Snowpiercer. While Swinton gave a standout performance as Mason in the film, she also appeared in disguise as a completely different character.

According to Bong, Swinton can be spotted as the lady attempting to grab the wine bottle from Yona when she and Namkoong are rounding up Kronole clumps from the clubbers. Oddly enough, Swinton would go on to play another hidden character in the remake of Suspiria in 2018, when she portrayed elderly male Dr. Klemperer.

1 Weinstein Ruse

Harvey Weinstein tried to edit the shape of Snowpiercer to his liking. To do so, he asked Bong to remove the iconic shot of the fish and replace it with more action.

Bong Joon Ho told Harvey that the shot of the fish meant a lot to him, as it was meant to honor his father who was a fisherman. Harvey instantly backed off and allowed Bong to keep the shot in the film. However, during an interviewing following the release of the film, Bong admitted to Vulture that “it was a f*cking lie. My father was not a fisherman.”