Oscar and Cannes Palme d’Or-winning Korean writer-director Bong Joon Ho is ready to share some exciting news about his first animated feature, Ally. As this year’s Cannes Film Festival kicks off in France, the celebrated filmmaker announced the voice cast of his latest passion project, which includes Bradley Cooper, Ayo Edebiri, Werner Herzog, Dave Bautista, Finn Wolfhard, and Rachel House. Additionally, Alex Jayne Go shared the announcement, suggesting she could be voicing the anticipated film’s lead character, an adorable piglet squid.
Previously, Neon announced it would release Ally in North American theaters in 2027, marking the studio’s first collaboration with Bong since 2019’s Parasite, which became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards.
As well as directing the film, Bong Joon Ho co-wrote the script with Jason Yu (Sleep). Seo Woo-sik will produce the film, marking his third collaboration with director Bong, following Mother and Okja.
At the heart of the story lies Ally, a curious and endearing piglet squid living in the uncharted depths of the South Pacific Ocean. She dreams of one day seeing the sun and becoming the star of a wildlife documentary. But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, her peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger. Alongside her colorful and loyal — yet unlikely — companions, Ally is thrust into an extraordinary journey that will take her all the way to the surface. Inspired by remarkable real-life marine creatures, the film explores themes of friendship and courage, as encounters between humans and the creatures of the deep reshape both worlds. Set against visually stunning underwater worlds and epic action sequences, the film is a family adventure blending humor and emotion.
One thing I admire about Bong Joon Ho is his ability to surprise his fanbase with new and unique projects. Some filmmakers inadvertently pigeonhole themselves into being known for a particular thing, but Bong Joon Ho loves to defy expectations. Ally is a massive undertaking. The film brings together leading creative talents from 12 countries, including South Korea, with key contributors such as animation supervisor Jae Hyung Kim (Toy Story 4, Inside Out), supervising producer David Lipman (Shrek franchise), and production designer Marcin Jakubowski (Klaus). DNEG, the world-renowned studio behind Inception and Dune, is also on board, contributing expertise in high-end 3D animation.
Bon Joon Ho’s Ally keeps getting better with every update! I can’t wait to see a trailer for this ambitious passion project, and hope that it turns out to be everything the filmmaker wants for his first foray into feature-length animation.