‘Snowpiercer’ Director Bong Joon-Ho Opens Up About Controversial Edits
Snowpiercer is getting cut by roughly 20 minutes before it lands in theaters across North America. Not surprisingly, the decision has not settled well with quite a few people.
Since the folks at The Weinstein Company want to sell a version of the movie that’s more accessible to audiences in the US, the distributor is doing away with a fair amount of exposition and character development. Instead of a deliberately-paced thriller, moviegoers will essentially get an action flick.
While fans and film critics have been extremely vocal about the shorter version of Snowpiercer, the film’s director has kept fairly quiet on the matter. However, Bong Joon-ho revealed during a chat with MSN that Weinstein wasn’t making too many demands in the editing room.
“I’ve never produced a new version for overseas premieres, and this is the first time I’m making a new version,” he said.
Bong added, “Weinstein is actually being pretty soft toward editing, probably because it’s noticed how critics have praised the film and know how angry movie fans get over new edits. They even asked me which parts I want to include in the film.”
Snowpiercer tells the story of humanity’s struggle to stay alive following a second Ice Age. Those who survived now live on a train powered by a perpetual motion engine. Unhappy about the way they’re treated, a group of passengers stage a revolution against the people in charge.
Although it sports several familiar faces, there hasn’t been a lot of buzz about the flick online. Included among the cast are Chris Evans, Song Kangho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, Ewen Brewmner, Alison Pill, John Hurt, and Ed Harris.
Fans of the filmmaker’s work were hoping The Weinstein Company would release the film at some point this summer. Although the North American trailer suggest this would happen, Weinstein’s decision to trim the flick ultimately crushed those dreams.
What do you think about the The Weinstein Company’s decision to change Snowpiercer for US audiences? Are you disappointed that the flick is cutting edited?
[Image via The Weinstein Company]
