Tony Winners Daveed Diggs, Lena Hall to Star in TNT Futuristic Thriller SNOWPIERCER

Turner's TNT has given a series greenlight to SNOWPIERCER, a futuristic thriller based on the acclaimed movie of the same name.

The series stars Jennifer Connelly, Tony Award and Grammy Award winner Daveed Diggs (HAMILTON), and Tony winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH).

Also in the cast are Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Benjamin Haigh, Sasha Frolova, Katie McGuinness, Alison Wright , Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, and Sheila Vand.

Commented Sarah Aubrey, executive vice president of original programming for TNT, "I'm a personal fan of Bong Joon Ho's epic film, and jumped at the chance to honor his original vision, yet expand upon the world and characters with a diverse, award-winning cast. Science fiction is the perfect genre to examine issues of race, class, gender and natural resources with thought-provoking and exciting storytelling. Snowpiercer will explore those relevant issues while embarking on a wild, action-filled ride."

Added Marty Adelstein, CEO of Tomorrow Studios, "Given the exceptional global appeal of the original film, we have a tremendous obligation to ensure the TV adaptation is exceptional in scope and magnitude. We have found that with TNT and with our talented cast. Now we are excited to work together in creating a world unlike any other on television."

Set seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centers on the remnants of humanity, who inhabit a gigantic, perpetually-moving train that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival are questioned in this riveting television adaptation.

Diggs will star as Layton Well, a prisoner barely surviving the harsh conditions in the tail end of the train. A quiet thinker who spends his days sniffing the industrial-waste-turned-drug Chronole and tending to his cage full of rats, Layton becomes a reluctant participant in a struggle that could upend life on the train.

Diggs originated the role of Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the groundbreaking Broadway musical Hamilton, for which he earned not only a Tony but also a Grammy®. He has also appeared in such television series as The Get Down and Black-ish. In 2010, he teamed up with longtime friends Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson to form the experimental hip-hop/rap trio clipping. Their newest album, the critically acclaimed Splendor & Misery, debuted in September and earned a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation.

Hall won a Tony for role as Yitzhak in 2014's HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH. She also earned a Grammy nomination for the show's official cast album. Her other Broadway credits include KINKY BOOTS, TARZAN, DRACULA, 42ND STREET and CATS. Snowpiercer marks her first TV role.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos