The last time we were talking about Bong Joon-ho's “Snowpiercer” was about eight months ago when word surfaced that Harvey Weinstein was looking to cut 20 minutes out of the film ahead of its North American release. It had already played quite well in South Korea and picked up a fair share of raves across Asia and at this and that foreign film festival.
The film will be released Stateside on June 27, but word comes today that it will see its official US premiere two weeks earlier as the opening night presentation at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Wednesday, June 11.
The festival, produced by Film Independent, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and Artistic Director for the fest, David Ansen, expressed his excitement over the selection via press release. “As fans of 'The Host' and 'Mother' know, Bong takes popular genres to a visionary new level,” Ansen said. “Here he puts us on a speeding train in a frozen post-apocalyptic future…and treats us to a wild, funny and darkly provocative ride. You've never seen anything quite like it!”
The film stars Chris Evans (who'll be hot off “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” when the film finally arrives), Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho, Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell and John Hurt. Talk about a fascinating ensemble.
The 20th annual Los Angeles Film Festival runs June 11 – June 19 at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.