Bong Joon Ho says animation finally frees his 'control freak' side

Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho has revealed new details about his first animated feature, Ally.

He described it as a project that finally lets him “unleash the control freak in me,” while also taking full responsibility for any criticism surrounding his recent live-action film Mickey 17.

Speaking in an interview with Variety, Bong shared that Ally has been in development since 2019 and marks a major creative shift for the director, best known for Parasite. The animated feature is set in the deep South Pacific Ocean and follows a piglet squid that dreams of becoming the star of a wildlife documentary, before an environmental crisis forces underwater creatures into survival mode.

The film features a high-profile voice cast including Ayo Edebiri, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista and Finn Wolfhard, with Alex Jayne Go leading the story. Bong reunites with distributor Neon, which previously handled Parasite, while international rights are being managed by Pathé, CJ and Penture.

Bong explained that animation gives him a level of creative freedom impossible in live-action filmmaking, especially when designing large-scale action sequences. He added that unlike his earlier works such as Okja and Snowpiercer, there are no production limits in animation, allowing him to fully execute his visual ambitions.

Reflecting on Mickey 17, Bong was direct about audience reactions, saying that any flaws in the film are entirely his responsibility. “All the good and bad parts came from me,” he said, adding that viewers should “shut on me” if they disliked it.

With Ally set for completion later this year, Bong returns to Cannes with renewed creative momentum after the global success of Parasite, continuing his exploration of genre storytelling through a new animated lens.