Snowpiercer (2013): Where Was the Movie Filmed?

of Snowpiercer (2013): Where Was the Movie Filmed? Dhruv Sharma
Updated August 3, 2022

After ‘Parasite’ nabbed the Best Picture Award at the 92nd Academy Awards, Bong Joon-ho became somewhat of a household name for movie-goers from all over the world. This recognition also brought several other great movies helmed by him to the limelight, and now, his unique work is being celebrated in every possible way. Starring Chirs Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Song Kang Ho, ‘Snowpiercer’ is quite similar to ‘Parasite’ as it discusses the disparities in the class system.

But unlike ‘Parasite,’ the film portrays more of a physical representation of the theme, where the people from the lower class start a rebellion to protest against the oppression they face in a train that helps them survive a modern ice age. The film’s whole train setup makes it evident that its production was not an easy process for the filmmakers. More so, even its filming location was meticulously devised to ensure that it very generously met the production needs of the film.

Snowpiercer Filming Locations

Bong Joon-ho’s English-language debut ‘Snowpiercer’ is an adaptation of  Jean-Marc Rochette’s French graphic novel series Le Transperceneige.  The Korean director first found the graphic novel series at a shop near Hongik University and was so captivated that he finished reading it while standing in the store where he found it. After acquiring the copyrights for the graphic novel, Bong entertained the idea of filming the movie in Canada because of the availability of infrastructure there. Later, for studio scouting, the production of the film went to Europe and was finalized at Barrandov Studios in the Czech Republic. The studio later became the primary filming location of the movie, with its post-production and editing later being carried out in South Korea. 

Prague, Czech Republic

After determining Barrandov Studios as the shooting location, Bong Joon-ho and his production moved to Czechia. Once the crew members were finalized, the principal photography of the movie began on April 3, 2012. According to reports, Bong initially wanted to film the entire movie in Korea. However, the film required massive sets to accommodate its titular train, and no Korean Studio was big enough to helm this task. That’s why the director settled for the Czech Republic Studio, which was later equipped with a full-fledged train and fully functional gimbals for easy filming.

In the official production guide of Barrandov Studios, Bong Joon-ho explained: “All the artwork, huge train sets and the gimbal were greatly completed and fully operational. Shooting at Barrandov Studios will never stop with a perpetual engine.” During the filming, just to give the audience an inclusive sense of the direction in which the characters were moving, the director made sure that the tail section of the train on sets was always on the left side of the characters and the front engine section on their right. The film was shot for 72 days, and its principal photography was officially wrapped up on  July 14, 2012.

A Chirs Evans fan page posted a few stills of the leading actor from the sets of the film. Check it out below:

Here’s another video of him recalling his experiences during the filming of the movie:

Here’s a video of Chris Evans and the remaining cast of the film involved in prayer ceremony before the filming of the movie:

Read More: Snowpiercer Ending, Explained

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