Jennifer Connelly will star in the TV adaptation of Snowpiercer.
This week’s roundup focusses on the homescreen side of things.
And it’s a trio of sci-fi and fantasy series this time: a TV pilot for a human survival drama, a second season of an unconventional detective’s adventures, and a new show about a ghost invasion in a remote town.
First up, the TV pilot for Snowpiercer starts filming today (August 28) and continues until to September 29.
Directed by Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange), the show is based on Bong Joon-ho’s 2013 sci-fi feature film of the same name. The film was based upon the French graphic novel La Transperceneige.
The story is set seven years after the world has been enveloped by a new Ice Age. The remaining human survivors travel across the frozen planet in a perpetually moving train that is divided into classes.
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly (American Pastoral) will play a first-class passenger whose job is to make daily announcements on the train’s speaker system.
Daveed Diggs
Meanwhile, Daveed Diggs (Black-ish) will portray a prisoner who becomes drawn into a struggle on the train that could change all of the lives of the passengers.
The cast includes Annalise Basso, Sasha Frolova, Benjamin Haigh, Katie McGuinness, Mickey Sumner, Roberto Urbina, and Alison Wright.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Continuing with the sci-fi theme but moving into nutty comedy, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency wraps up shooting episodes for Season 2 on Wednesday (August 30). This BBC America TV series started production back on May 8.
Samuel Barnett
Samuel Barnett (The History Boys) stars at the titular, eccentric detective, who is assisted by bellboy Todd Brotzman, played by Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings).
Elijah Wood
Season 2 sounds like quite the tall order: Dirk and company will have to figure out a way to stop dangers from the fantasy realm coming to Earth.
The cast also includes Hannah Marks, Fiona Dourif, Jade Eshete, Mpho Koaho, Michael Eklund, Dustin Milligan, Osric Chau, Viv Leacock, Zak Santiago, John Hannah, Amanda Walsh, Issie Steele, and Aleks Paunovic.
Jade Eshete
Season 2 will premiere on October 14.
Here’s the trailer—make of it what you will…
Meanwhile, a new TV series, Ghost Wars, will call it a wrap on Thursday (August 31). It began shooting 13 episodes for Season 1 on May 1.
In this paranormal action series, the remote Alaskan town of Port Moore becomes overtaken by paranormal forces.
Avan Jogia
A local outcast, played by Avan Jogia (Tut), struggles to overcome the town’s prejudices and his own personal issues as he attempts to tap into his repressed psychic powers to save everyone.
The cast includes Vincent D’Onofrio, Kim Coates, Kristin Lehman, and Meat Loaf.
It’s important to have a slice of Meat Loaf in every paranormal action series.
For a peek at what the series is like, here’s the trailer—and it’s a combination of creep and gore.
The series will premiere on SyFy in the U.S. on October 5 with a Canadian release date yet to be announced.
On that note, that’s all for this week but with the fall season upon us, there’ll be plenty more in store to divulge about what’s shooting on the streets of Hollywood North.
