Netflix gave EW new images from its feature film Okja, which was filmed earlier this year in Seoul, South Korea.
From director Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host, Mother), Okja is produced by Plan B, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company, and stars Tilda Swinton ( Snowpiercer, Doctor Strange, Hail, Caesar!, Moonrise Kingdom), Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Nightcrawler, Everest) and Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave) in a bold, global adventure.
“With Okja I want to show the beauty that can exist between man and animal, and also the horror between them,” said Director Bong.
Okja was written by Bong and Jon Ronson (Frank) and follows Mija (Seohyun An), a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named ‘Okja’. But don’t call this a monster movie:
‘Okja’ is named for another mysterious creature, but Joon-ho says, “It’s a very shy and introverted animal. It’s a unique animal that we’ve not seen before.”
Joining the cast are acclaimed actors from around the world, including Devon Bostick (The 100), Lily Collins (To The Bone), Byun Heebong (The Host), Shirley Henderson (Anna Karenina), Daniel Henshall (The Babadook), Yoon Je Moon (Mother), Choi Wooshik (Set Me Free) and Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead). Okja will be shot in South Korea, Canada and the US, in English and Korean.
Speaking to Collins’ role:
“Red is part of a group of animal rights activists that figure into the story,” teases Joon-ho, who filmed in the Financial District. “On Wall Street, it’s the heart of capitalism,” the director notes. “On the surface is a story about an animal, but it’s essentially a story about capitalism.”
Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Lewis Taewan Kim, Dooho Choi, Woo-sik Seo and Bong Joon Ho are producers on the film with Netflix. Okja is a Plan B, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company production.
Okja will premiere globally on Netflix in 2017 and will also have a limited day and date theatrical release in the US.
