EXCLUSIVE: A disagreement between filmmaker and distributor Harvey Weinstein over length and pacing of the Bong Joon-Ho helmed Snowpiercer has been resolved, I hear. Weinstein bought U.S. rights on the movie back in 2012 AFM on the basis of script and some sample footage. A wide release was in the contract, until the director turned in a cut of just beyond two and one-half hours. The truce is basically that the director keeps the length of his action film but instead of a wide release, it will be a platform release with a roll out. I am told the picture is not being dumped. The film, which stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Octavia Spencer, has done well in Korea and France and has gotten strong reviews. This is the hard part about the kind of buying that is taking place right now in Berlin, where distributors are making decisions based on scripts and sizzle reels, if they’re lucky. When the movie doesn’t deliver what the agents promised, this kind of give and take is inevitable.
Here’s the trailer. Looks pretty crazy:
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Mike, the last couple of lines of your article are incorrect. This movie in its original form has been getting rave reviews with Variety even going so far as to call it “enormously ambitious, visually stunning and richly satisfying”. The only reason Harvey wanted to edit it was so “audiences in Iowa and Oklahoma” could understand it. I glad the filmmaker stood his ground.
Right JoeG. I’ve seen the film and it was the best movie I’ve seen this year. Good reviews here in the Philippines and to think we are not really as good as Iowa and Oklahoma’s audience when it comes with English, ‘m sure they will perfectly understand the movie. lol. The movie doesn’t disappoint and the length is just perfect. I’ll say it has a matrix vibe on it when it comes to concept of rules versus change but the overall premise is not the same. The visual is spectacular as well as the acting. I say Chris is better than Keannu.
Another violent movie by Weinstein. who da thunk?
Haven’t seen this yet, but I can’t imagine that it’s terribly violent, given that it has a 15 rating in Korea (basically midway between a PG-13 and an R) and they’re not very liberal with their ratings.
And Kelly Masterson wrote it! Give some respect/props to the writer. Geesh!
So did Bong
it already grossed 110 million i dont get it
Snowpiercer is a masterpiece.
Thank god. It always bothered me that Harvey Weinstein was so insistent on turning this movie into a piece of shit by cutting out huge blocks.
This looks really bad. Perhaps the movie is better than the trailer, but the premise itself looks beyond silly: a society of different classes that lives year-round on a train? What would the point of that even be? It looks really bad and there were no acting standouts in the trailer. Not sure how this is being praised by anyone.
Nice to see that Bong Joon-Ho’s film will Finally be released in its original full length uncut version,even if it’ll be receiving a puny release(like the Weinsteins have done with half of their recent films via the Radius/TWS label[which I’m sure they’ll briefly release SNOWPIERCER through]).
So excited to see it in its proper form! I’ve been looking forward to this ever since it was announced, seems like years ago now. Doesn’t look all that violent either.
As long as Harvey doesn’t touch the original comic, I don’t really mind…
Best sci-fi head-f*** move of the year, saw it in Thailand last month. The legendary John Hurt, flat out bonkers Tilda Swinton and an almost unrecognisable Chris Evans all deliver in spades (as do all the cast) along with two terrific Korean actors. Original, unpredictable and as dark as they get. Will become classic.
I was relatively bored and unimpressed by the overrated (and frankly silly) THE HOST a few years back. SNOWPIERCER sounds interesting…but this trailer is pretty bad — what is it? A cross-hybrid between RUNAWAY TRAIN, UNSTOPPABLE, CHILDREN OF MEN, with some Terry Gilliam tossed into the mix?? I’ll take a Wait and See with this one.
This movie is so full of practical nonsense (impossible, improbable, unfeasible solutions) that these completely derail the otherwise interesting social and moral questions and what remains is violent, gory action flick with some good acting and stunning visuals.