Parasite Director Bong Joon-ho’s First Animated Film Ally Is Coming in 2027
Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho, who revolutionized the cinema world with the film Parasite, has excited fans with his long-awaited first animation project, Ally. The film, which has been in development since 2019, will be released worldwide in 2027. The South Korean production giant CJ ENM and the French studio Pathé have joined forces for the film's global distribution. This partnership signals that the project will make a huge impact not only in Korea but all over the world.
The story of the film centers around a curious "piglet squid" named Ally who lives in the unexplored depths of the South Pacific Ocean. Ally's peaceful life, where she dreams of seeing the sun and becoming the star of a nature documentary, is turned upside down by a mysterious aircraft that falls into the ocean. This event drags our hero and her group of misfit friends on an adventurous and emotional journey toward the surface of the water. Director Bong Joon-ho co-wrote the screenplay with Sleep director Jason Yu.
Ally holds the title of the most expensive production in South Korean cinema history with a budget of approximately 70 billion KRW (about 52-60 million dollars). The technical team is truly a "dream team." While visual effects are being handled by the DNEG studio, known for blockbusters like Inception and Dune, the animation supervision is being led by Jae-hyung Kim, who worked on Toy Story 4 and Inside Out. Additionally, Parasite cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo is contributing to the lighting and visual atmosphere of the animation, bringing the director's signature style to this new medium.
Director Bong Joon-ho describes this project as "a dream he has been chasing for almost 25 years." Inspired by French author Claire Nouvian's book The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss, the film will blend scientific realities with a fantastic narrative. Ally, which will be the director's next major work after Mickey 17, will present the fascinating world of the deep sea to the audience with the visual freedom offered by animation. Cinema lovers can expect a masterpiece that pushes the boundaries in terms of both technique and storytelling in 2027.
