Bong Joon-ho's train-bound sci-fi Snowpiercer remains difficult to get hold of legitimately in the UK, but his next film, monster-movie Okja should at least be easier to see. Netflix are backing the project, along with Brad Pitt's production company Plan B. And as previously mooted, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald are now all confirmed for the cast.
Bong has also revealed slightly more than was previously out there about Okja's plot. Seemingly not quite a creature feature in the vein of Bong's earlier The Host, he says "It is a bulky animal, but with a mild and kind spirit. The film is about a warm friendship between a country girl and a brute with stories. To me, the crazy world surrounding Okja and the girl looks more like a monster. I want to depict the two characters' bizarre journey and adventure across the tough world in an original fashion."
The Netflix deal is part of the company's expansion in the east, with the streaming service expected to roll out in South Korea next year. It already produces the series Marco Polo, shot in Malasia, and is also behind the upcoming Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2.
"It really is a fantastic opportunity for me as a film maker," says Bong. "For Okja I needed a bigger budget than I had for Snowpiercer and also complete creative freedom. Netflix offered me the two conditions that are difficult to have in hand simultaneously."
Pre-production is underway for a planned shoot in Korea and the US next April. A US theatrical release is expected in the first half of 2017.