Fans of Snowpiercer take note. Director Bong Joon-ho has a new film in the can. Okja, which will arrive on Netflix in early summer, features an illustrious ensemble cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal (Nocturnal Animals), Paul Dano (Swiss Army Man), Lily Collins (Rules Don’t Apply) and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton (A Bigger Splash); Swinton famously (and in physically jarring fashion) appeared to much critical and fan enthusiasm in Snowpiercer. Netflix has released the first teaser for the film.
While still steeped to a certain degree of mystery, Okja is an original fantasy movie that centers around a young girl (portrayed by South Korean actress Seo-Hyun Ahn, The Housemaid) and her perilous mission to protect a mysterious creature/BFF (named Okja) from being taken by a massive, multi-national company. Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare At Goats) co-authored the screenplay alongside Joon-ho. Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Devon Bostick (The 100), Giancarlo Esposito (Money Monster) and Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones’s Baby) co-star.
As a director, Joon-ho has amassed a stellar reputation in recent years thanks to the critical and cult success outside his native South Korea. He previously helmed such original works as the monster-mash The Host (2006) and the warmly received thriller Mother (2009), a film in which lead actress Hye-ja Kim won the Best Actress prize from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association in 2010.
Okja is set to premiere on Netflix on June 28th. Limited day-and-date theatrical engagements are also in the works. Check out the teaser trailer below.