"Bong Joon-ho hasn't gone anywhere at all"... Director Bong Joon-ho directly reveals his next project 'Ally' at Cannes [Cannes★Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

During a surprise appearance at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Director Bong Joon-ho spoke about his upcoming animated film 'Ally' in an interview.

Variety discussed the next project with Director Bong Joon-ho during the Cannes Film Festival period.

Director Bong Joon-ho will direct his first feature-length animated film 'Ally' (ALLY). 'Ally' is Director Bong Joon-ho's first feature-length animation, who has built a global reputation with films such as 'Parasite,' 'Mother,' and 'Memories of Murder.' Development and planning for the project have been underway since 2019. Director Yoo Jae-sun, who directed 'Sleep' and was invited to the Critics' Week at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023, is participating as a co-writer. It is a large-scale global project involving top-tier production teams from 12 countries, including South Korea.

CJ ENM, the Pench K-Content Investment Fund managed by Pench Investment, and the French major studio Pathé Film are co-investing and handling distribution. Barunson C&S, led by Seo U-sik (CEO), who produced Director Bong Joon-ho's films 'Mother' and 'Okja,' will oversee the production of this film.

Inspired by actual marine life, 'Ally' centers on themes of friendship and courage, depicting how the meeting between humans and deep-sea creatures transforms both worlds. The story primarily follows deep-sea fish living in an underwater canyon who are curious about the human world. Their peaceful daily lives, where the protagonist baby pig-octopus 'Ally' dreams of seeing the sun directly and appearing on TV, are suddenly threatened when an unidentified aircraft crashes into the sea. As 'Ally' gets caught in an unexpected great adventure and begins a journey to the world above the water, the film promises to deliver the ultimate adventure for the whole family, filled with fantastic visuals, thrilling action, and joyful laughter and warm emotion.

Speaking about the motivation behind making an animated film, Director Bong Joon-ho said, "My first short film was an animation. However, that process was so difficult that I decided to make live-action films. It was a mentally demanding task. So, while I have been making live-action films, I always had the dream of returning to animation."

Regarding the origin of 'Ally,' Director Bong said, "I was inspired by the book 'The Deep: Wondrous Creatures of the Deep Sea' by photographer Claire Nubian. The creatures in the photos were so cool. They were mysterious, yet at the same time, they looked like animated characters. Then, I discovered a fish that seemed to be very conscious of the camera, and I began creating a story about that character and other creatures." He explained, "The deep sea is completely dark and nothing happens there. But once a year, when a National Geographic submersible descends, it becomes the biggest event in the deep-sea world, and everyone wants to be filmed. Then, at some point, a disaster occurs. Bombs fall into the sea, and the film transforms into an action movie where deep-sea creatures defend their world and homeland."

Director Bong also spoke about the fun he felt while working on the animation. He said, "Personally, I have always wanted to create incredible action sequences. I wanted to create sequences that surpass the great action scenes made by George Miller or Hayao Miyazaki, and I felt this film was an opportunity to experiment with that ambition." He added, "In live-action films, to shoot just one action scene, you have to block off the entire road, you only have three prop cars that can be blown up, and there are time limits. But in animation, there are no limits. I can completely unleash my inner 'control freak' instinct." He expressed his love for action.

Director Bong added, "At first, audiences might be surprised by the fact that it is an animation, or they might find it fresh. But when they actually watch the film, they will feel, 'Ah, Bong Joon-ho hasn't gone anywhere at all.' They may feel a sense of familiarity, and upon discovering his unique signature, they might feel delighted."

Director Bong Joon-ho's feature-length animated film 'Ally' is scheduled for a worldwide release, with a target of completing production in the first half of 2027.

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*This content was translated by AI.