In a seemingly never-ending game of hot potato between the two networks, the upcoming series adaptation of the graphic novel and acclaimed film Snowpiercer is moving from TBS back to its original home at TNT, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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TNT’s new Snowpiercer series will return fans of Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 film to the desolate future where the Earth has become a nearly-uninhabitable tundra and much of the human population has been relegated to a perpetually-moving locomotive.
While the film starred Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Ed Harris, the series will star Jennifer Connelly (Labyrinth, Hulk), Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, Hamilton) and Mickey Sumner (Frances Ha, American Made). They will be joined by Susan Park, Benjamin Haigh, Sasha Frolova, Katie McGuinness, Sam Otto, Alison Wright, Annalise Basso, Sheila Vand, Roberto Urbina, Lena Hall and Rowan Blanchard.
The series was originally picked up by TNT in 2015 with a two-season order and after years of development and delays was finally on track to premiere sometime next year on the network before WarnerMedia revealed it would be moving to the comedy-focused TBS back in May. And now in another plot twist, the network is moving the series once again, except rather than to any of the remaining networks it hasn’t landed at yet, it will be heading back to TNT.
“We’ve had the unique opportunity to more thoroughly test and explore where this show will best perform,” Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max and president of TNT, TBS and TruTV said in a statement. “While we are still adding dramas to TBS (such as Obliterated), after further research and consideration we’ve decided to keep Snowpiercer on TNT,” he said in a statement announcing the news. “Now that we’ve seen this incredible post-apocalyptic sci-fi series in its entirety, and better understand the audience this show will appeal to, we’re confident it will perform strongest on TNT.”
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Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson was set to co-direct the first episode of Snowpiercer with James Hawes, who previously worked on TNT’s The Alienist with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, until he left due to creative differences with Orphan Black‘s Graeme Manson, who took over as showrunner in February 2018.
The series adaptation is being produced by Tomorrow Studios and CJ Entertainment. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements of Tomorrow Studios will executive produced along with Derrickson, James Hawes, Matthew O’Connor, Miky Lee, Jeong Tae-sung, Park Chan-wook, Lee Tae-hun and Choi Dooho.
Snowpiercer is still expected to premiere sometime in late spring 2020.
