Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic drama series based on the 2013 film of the same name, which was directed by Bong Joon-ho. But with each new season, the show builds on the lore from the movie. For instance, the world dynamics of the Snowpiercer universe completely shifted with the introduction of a second train called Big Alice, and then again with the possibility of a warm location in Africa called New Eden. In Season 3, we saw Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) return from the dead, only to betray Andre (Daveed Diggs) and seize control of the engine. This split the passengers into two groups: those who wanted to follow Andre toward New Eden and those who wanted to stay with Melanie.
Snowpiercer Season 3 ended on a massive cliffhanger where the show skips three months into the future, and Melanie sees a missile launch in the distance. Could it have been from Andre? Or are there new survivors? Clearly, the story was far from over, and fans have eagerly been waiting for season 4 to see how it would end. But almost two years after the last season aired, there’s still no news of an official release date. What happened to Snowpiercer Season 4? Why was it not released, and will we ever get to see it? Here is everything you need to know.
Snowpiercer Season 4 Was Greenlit in 2021
Snowpiercer Season 4 was greenlit back in July 2021 whilst Season 3 was still in production. In an exciting season renewal announcement video, Diggs teased the fans, saying, “If you like Seasons 1 and 2, there’s no reason to assume you won’t love Seasons 3 and 4. It only gets bigger and more Snowpiercer-ey!” Paul Zbyszewski was brought in as the new showrunner for Season 4, as well as some new cast additions like Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Michael Aronov (The Americans).
Snowpiercer Season 4 Has Been Filmed
The letdown of no official Season 4 release date is even worse because guess what? The entire season is filmed, edited, and ready to drop. And it was later revealed that Season 4 will also be the final season of the show. Mike O’Malley, who plays Sam Roche in the show, commented that he and his castmates were hoping they’d keep going, but Season 5 did not receive a green light. When asked if Season 4 was written as the final chapter in the Snowpiercer story, he said there was definitely a finality to the ending of Season 4. He called it a very hopeful ending, and he couldn’t wait for the fans to see it.
Why Was Snowpiercer Season 4 Not Released?
In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery took over as TNT’s parent company. And it suspended new development of scripted media to reevaluate TNT’s strategy moving forward. By the end of 2022, Snowpiercer was the last remaining original scripted show on TNT. Then, in January 2023, TNT announced that it would not be airing Snowpiercer Season 4 despite having already completed it.
This happened shortly after Warner Bros. had already shelved several shows and movies for tax-write-offs. Remember the cancellations of Batgirl, the CW Arrowverse shows, and James Gunn’s Coyote vs. Acme? It is believed that Snowpiercer Season 4 was also shelved for the same reasons, but there has been no official answer given by TNT or Warner Bros. Discovery.
Will We Ever Get to See Snowpiercer Season 4?
The good news is that Snowpiercer Season 4 is not lost forever. The producers, Tomorrow Studios, have acquired the rights to control the franchise and are looking for a new partner to distribute the season. Marty Adelstein, the CEO of Tomorrow Studios, has come out and said, “We’re talking to a number of buyers about buying the first three seasons and also Season 4, which is probably our best season; we’re in the middle of that.”
The most likely option is Netflix, which already has the rights to the first three seasons and has the largest user base of any streaming platform. But there is the possibility of Season 4 dropping on other platforms like Max, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. Until then, there’s an active #savesnowpiercer movement to push one of these streaming giants to purchase the broadcasting rights. If it worked for the Snyder Cut of Justice League, it could also make a difference and work for Snowpiercer.