The Big Picture

Snowpiercer Season 4 showcases a new conflict as characters settle into New Eden paradise.
The cast and creators share new details on the season four with us at SDCC 2024.
Shifting alliances and unexpected appearances add to the thrilling ride of Season 4 of Snowpiercer.

Season 4 of Snowpiercer is about to heat things up amidst its icy uncertainty. Based on the film of the same name by Bong Joon Ho and the graphic novels by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette, the brand new season immediately picks up right where Season 3 left off. After finally escaping the clutches of Wilford and making their way to New Eden, Melanie (Jennifer Connelly) and Layton (Daveed Diggs) now face a tough choice. Just when things seem to settle, new threats emerge from the world outside the train.

With the recent premiere of the new season, Diggs, Mickey Sumner, showrunner/executive producer Paul Zbyszewski, and executive producer Christoph Schrewe stopped by the Collider media studio at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 to chat with Kevin Walwyn. In this spoiler-free conversation, the Snowpiercer crew discusses shifting alliances, the instability of their newfound “paradise,” exploring beyond New Eden, and more. Check out our interview with the cast and crew in the player above, or read the full conversation below.

Snowpiercer Seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually-moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.Release Date May 17, 2020 Main Genre Sci-Fi Seasons 4

COLLIDER: Season 4 starts off in a completely different setting. What was it like having a complete change of scenery?

DAVEED DIGGS: It was pretty amazing to have that kind of space to move around. When it was all we knew I don’t think we realized how confining it was to only shoot in straight lines. But having New Eden and the beautiful set, the art department and builders really outdid themselves this season. Getting to run in and out of those buildings, spending all that time on the street, and there were animals, like dogs and chickens running around. It felt so new and fresh.

It was very organic, like a camp settlement, with everyone living together in a wonderful community outside the train, with open spaces and high ceilings.

‘Snowpiercer’ Season 4 Will Explore Beyond New Eden

Paul and Chris, let’s talk about Season 4 for a moment. Of course, the season premiere just happened, and it was ecstatic, but it had two different types of tones. One was very relaxed and chilled, and then it kind of took a turn. Can you talk us through preparing for that first episode?

PAUL ZBYSZEWSKI: We had to pick up where Season 3 left off. At the end of Season 3, the cast of Snowpiercer landed in New Eden—half of them did, and the other half went off on the train. For the folks who made it to New Eden, the philosophy was that they earned it. After all the sacrifices, all the struggles, all the strife, and conflict, they deserved a happy place to call home. That’s what we wanted to portray in the first half of that first episode is, “Look, life in New Eden is good.” They did a great job. They built this democracy, Layton led them to the promised land, and it works. They’re all friends, and it’s all great… Until we had to screw that up because drama needs conflict. But we wanted the audience to settle in and enjoy that and see them happy, because if we didn’t see that, then it doesn’t mean anything when you rip it all away. We needed the audience to understand that there’s something to fight for in New Eden.

CHRISTOPH SCHREWE: In creating this new world, we have to establish it and show how new life is in New Eden with the chickens, dogs, vegetables, and a new organization of life. It was like a little western town, and they didn’t expect enemies. It was a pristine expedition, like what would happen if we tried to settle on Mars. It’s all good until it isn’t. Life is always like this, and storytelling mirrors life. I think that’s how we started this. One of the very irritating things for me in directing was that after a couple of seasons on the train, there were only two directions to go: forwards or backwards. [Laughs] It got much more complex. People were walking in all different directions. We explored a different world, and this world will get much bigger throughout the season. Episode 1 is just the beginning. Throughout the season, we explore many more outside worlds. We leave New Eden and we explore a completely new world. At the end of Episode 2, we get the first glimpse of it.

‘Snowpiercer’ Season 4 Features a Surprise Appearance

Towards the end of Episode 1, Audrey [Lena Hall] makes a surprise appearance, and she does not look very well. Can you give us a hint about what we can expect to close the gap or if there are any time jumps?

SCHREWE: The season starts in New Eden, and then in Episode 2, we go back to see how all this happened and why Miss Audrey arrived in this terrible shape with burned skin. We jump back in Episode 2 to explain how we got here and then continue our journey in the timeline of New Eden. Episode 2 is basically explaining to the audience what happened before and letting us participate in the drama.

Let’s talk about Bess for a minute. We haven’t really seen much of Bess yet, but now we see a separation. Without giving any spoilers, what can we expect in terms of the emotional toll of being separated from the love of your life?

MICKEY SUMNER: It really gives Till such motivation in the following episodes to return to her love and save her friends. That energy and motivation was such good writing and so good to get your teeth into.

Daveed, one more question about the heartbreak moment when you learn that the mother of your child meets a tragic end and, on top of that, your child is taken. Where’s his mind at? What’s his motivation?

DIGGS: At that point, and this is something we talked about a lot internally and with Leslie [Hope], our director, Layton is so outside of himself. Grief and rage don’t really cover it. One thing I’m happy about this season is that we tried to have him physically react to that, making it harder for him to move through space than it usually is. The ways he’s usually so calm and easy become complicated because he’s so outside of himself. That was really fun. His reason for everything has just been taken, so that’s a huge motivator for the season.

Season 4 of ‘Snowpiercer’ Features an Easter Egg to Keep an Eye Out For
Image via TNT

Does his trust for Dr. Headwood [Sakina Jaffrey] change? When I saw Dr. Headwood at the end of Season 3, I thought something was going to happen, and certainly, things did happen. Can you give a hint about her motivations and how she’s communicating with those survivalist soldiers?

ZBYSZEWSKI: You’re just gonna have to find out. I’ll will say about Dr. Headwood, if you want to know where she’s going, just look for her dead husband’s shoes. If the shoes are gone, you know she’s gone. She won’t leave the shoes behind. A little hint, a little Easter egg for people.

I have to ask a quick question. Your character was the last person with the baby. I’m not sure about those nanny skills.

MIKE O’MALLEY: The thing about New Eden, we thought, is that we’re all going there to start the new paradise, right? But the problem with paradise is that human beings are there, and human beings are motivated by selfish desires, rage, anger, and pettiness. I had forgotten that. Roche is just singing the ABCs, and then, all of a sudden, down on the ground. If you don’t watch your back and think the new paradise is only filled with good people with good intentions, that’s how babies get kidnapped. That’s what happened.

Personally, I thought you were a goner. I was like, “You can’t do that to me right now.” I’m happy that you’re surviving, at least, and then maybe there’s some redemption?

O’MALLEY: Yes, we hope so. I am in the later episodes. Spoiler alert.

Do you have any other hints for the upcoming season, as there are only nine episodes left in the Snowpiercer story?

SCHREWE: It will be an absolute thrill ride. Not everyone will make it. That’s the only hint I can give. In exploring the world, we’ve opened the show to another level. It’s an absolute super entertaining thrill ride. It goes to the heart. It’s made out of love, and love is something that’s very much in danger. It gets attacked a lot by evil forces within ourselves and others.

I have one more question about the shifting alliances. Season 3 had constantly shifting alliances. Will we see that with the new addition, Clark Gregg, to the cast this season? What’s his motivation? Is he militaristic?

ZBYSZEWSKI: That’s a great question. Part of the mystery of the season and how it unfolds is who these people are and what is motivating them. What are their intentions? Intentions matter. There’s definitely a theme that runs through the season—the road to hell is paved with good intentions. By the end of Episode 2, you learn more about what’s happening, and you go, “Oh, okay, these intentions are not what I thought.” There’s a lot you can get away with when you say “by any means necessary.” So where’s that line? Everyone has a different line. That’s part of the mystery of the season. That’s how I artfully dodged that question. [Laughs]

Season 4 of Snowpiercer is currently available to stream online.

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