Snowpiercer premiered approximately a year ago internationally, with many film critics calling it one of the year's best. Well, the film's US distribution rights were purchased by The Weinstein Company, who felt like some of the themes at play were too complicated for US audiences and wanted 20 minutes of footage cut and monologues added to the film's opening and closing to explain to audiences what occurred. In short, The Weinstein Company felt American audiences, as a whole, were too dumb to understand Snowpiercer in the form that director Bong Joon-ho, originally wanted audiences to experience his film.
Well, after a lengthy battle, the film was released in the version that Joon-ho desired, however, The Weinstein Company refused to give the film a wide, theatrical release. Instead, only 150 theaters in select US cities will play Snowpiercer, with the film also being made available On Demand. To date, the film has grossed $80.2 million dollars internationally, with $3 million dollars earned here in the US during its first week of release. Additionally, the film earned another $2 million dollars through Video-On-Demand (VOD). Not a complete loss for a film with an estimated budget of $39.2 million dollars. However, it's hard to not feel as if the film could have earned more with a wider release and different distributor.
Snowpiercer is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. The film stars Captain America's Chris Evans, Ed Harris, Tilda Swinton and more.
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