Bong Joon Ho has unveiled the first look at “Ally,” his debut animated feature, a project the filmmaker has been developing since 2019 and one that represents a significant new creative direction after a career built on live-action genre cinema.
Bong co-wrote the script with Jason Yu (“Sleep”), with Barunson C&C handling production. CJ ENM, Penture Invest and Pathé are co-financing and distributing. Seo Woo-sik is producing in his third collaboration with Bong following “Mother” and “Okja.” The film is expected to wrap in the first half of 2027, with a worldwide theatrical release planned for that same year.
The story centers on a piglet squid named Ally who inhabits the little-explored depths of the South Pacific Ocean, harboring ambitions of reaching the surface and one day featuring in a wildlife documentary. Her world is upended when an aircraft goes down into the sea, setting her on an unlikely journey upward alongside a mismatched group of companions. Drawing on real marine biology for its creature design, the film takes on themes of bravery and connection, with the encounters between its deep-sea characters and the human world driving the narrative. The picture is conceived as a family adventure, combining large-scale underwater action with humor and emotional storytelling.
The production draws on talent from across 12 countries. Animation supervisor Jae Hyung Kim has previously worked on “Toy Story 4” and “Inside Out,” while supervising producer David Lipman comes from the “Shrek” franchise and production designer Marcin Jakubowski worked on “Klaus.” VFX and animation company DNEG, whose feature credits include “Inception” and “Dune,” is contributing 3D animation work.
Bong is best known internationally for “Parasite” (2019), which made history as the first film ever to claim both best picture and international feature film at the Academy Awards, and also won Bong trophies for best director and original screenplay. It was the first South Korean film to win an Oscar. His wider filmography includes “Snowpiercer,” “Memories of Murder,” “Mother” and most recently “Mickey 17.”
Pathé will release “Ally” theatrically in France, Benelux, Switzerland and West Africa, and will handle international sales outside Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. CJ ENM and Penture Invest will manage distribution in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey and Indonesia, and will oversee sales in the excluded Asian territories.
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