WIRE Buzz: Snowpiercer leaving station two weeks early; James Gunn's Scooby-Doo 3 plot; more

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps major movie releases out of the way, TV networks and streaming platforms are swooping in to pick up the slack. For example, TNT's Snowpiercer adaptation is now hitting the airwaves on Sunday, May 17, two weeks earlier than previously planned.

Set in a future where the planet has become a frozen wasteland, the series centers on the occupants of a massive train that perpetually traverses the lifeless tundra. With over 1,000 cars, the train houses an entire caste system of haves and have-nots. The project is based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, as well as the 2013 Snowpiercer movie directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Enjoy a brand-new teaser trailer below:

“Snowpiercer is one of the most anticipated original series of 2020 and in this climate, viewers are craving thrilling, engaging, edge-of-your-seat content that speaks to them on a deeper level,” Brett Weitz, general manager for TNT, TBS, and truTV said in a statement. “It is extremely important that we continue with our promise to meet audiences where they are, and to that effect, we are moving up Snowpiercer’s premiere so that fans can enjoy this futuristic series even earlier.”

Jennifer Connelly, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, Mickey Sumner, Susan Park, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand, and Jaylin Fletcher co-star.

The show's first episode will air Sunday, May 17, at 9 p.m. ET.

Warner Bros.' live-action Scooby-Doo film franchise would've gone full Twilight Zone with the plot of its third entry, according to franchise scribe James Gunn. Answering a fan question on Twitter, the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker revealed that the ultimately ditched threequel was focused on turning Scooby and Shaggy's monster phobia on its head.

"The Mystery Inc. gang are hired by a town in Scotland who complain they’re being plagued by monsters, but we discover throughout the film the monsters are actually the victims," Gunn wrote. "And Scooby & Shaggy have to come to terms with their own prejudices and narrow belief systems. (Yes, Really!)."

Helmed by Raja Gosnell, Scooby-Doo (2002) and its direct sequel Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed (2004) did subvert the usual Doo! format by including real monsters in addition to the usual villains in masks.

Gunn's "Eye of the Beholder"-type story for the third un-produced movie sounds like a perfect culmination of what his first two scripts were attempting to do: checking our Mystery, Inc. expectations at the door.

If Samuel L. Jackson's reading of Stay the F*** Home didn't make you take the coronavirus situation seriously, then maybe Robert Englund's PSA on proper glove use will. Yes, even dream demons with a vendetta practice social distancing.

In a video posted to Twitter, the Nightmare on Elm Street actor broke out his iconic Freddy Krueger glove (knives and all) to remind folks that their hands must be covered if trips to the grocery store are warranted. For good measure, Englund belted out a chilling Freddy laugh that will keep us under the covers long after the pandemic is over.

This story presents some humorous responses to coronavirus, but COVID-19 is very real! Please exercise caution out there: Wash those hands, stay at home, and practice social distancing. For extensive information on how to keep you and your loved ones safe, check out the CDC’s coronavirus website.