Bong Joon Ho Reveals First Look at Animated Venture, “Ally”

Bong Joon Ho has revealed a glimpse into his first animated feature film, “Ally”. This marks a fresh venture for the filmmaker who has been working on the project since 2019, representing a departure from his well-established career in live-action cinema. The script was co-written by Bong and Jason Yu of "Sleep". Barunson C&C controls productions while CJ ENM, Penture Invest, and Pathé are co-financing and handling distribution. This film is the third collaborative effort between producer Seo Woo-sik and Bong after "Mother" and "Okja". The movie is scheduled to complete production in the first half of 2027 and worldwide release plans are set for the same year.

“Ally” tells the tale of a piglet squid who dwells in the South Pacific Ocean's largely unexplored depths and dreams of surfacing to feature in a wildlife documentary. Her life takes an unexpected turn when an aircraft crashes into the sea, setting her on a peculiar journey upward with a diverse group of companions. The film takes inspiration from real marine biology for its design. It also explores themes of courage and unity, with the interactions between its deep-sea inhabitants and the human world steering the course of the story. Conceptualized as a family-friendly adventure, the movie merges large-scale underwater action with humor and heartfelt narrative.

The production brings together talented individuals from 12 different countries. Jae Hyung Kim, an animation supervisor with experience on “Toy Story 4” and “Inside Out”, is on board, along with supervising producer David Lipman of the “Shrek” franchise and production designer Marcin Jakubowski who previously worked on “Klaus”. VFX and animation company DNEG, noted for their contributions to “Inception” and “Dune”, renders the 3D animation for the film.

Internationally, Bong is chiefly known for his film “Parasite” (2019), a historical piece being the first of its kind to win both Best Picture and International Feature Film at the Academy Awards. It also secured Bong awards for Best Director and Original Screenplay, marking the inauguration of South Korean films winning Oscars. Bong's wider repertoire includes titles like “Snowpiercer,” “Memories of Murder,” “Mother,” and the recent “Mickey 17."

“Ally” is slated to be distributed by Pathé in theatres across France, Benelux, Switzerland, and West Africa, as well as managing international sales outside Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Distribution in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey and Indonesia, and sales in the latter Asian territories will be handled by CJ ENM and Penture Invest.