Bong Joon-ho’s First Animated Film Ally Marks His Genre Experimentation

Neon handled the distribution of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019) in the United States and has been holding the prestige of becoming a major international distributor. Joon-ho and Neon’s CEO, Tom Quinn, have a long-standing professional relationship, which will be reinvigorated with the recent reunion for Bong Joon-ho’s first animated film Ally.

What is Bong Joon-ho’s first animated film Ally about? 

Academy Award-winning writer and director Bong Joon-ho’s first animated feature, Ally, is about a curious and endearing piglet squid living in the depths of the South Pacific Ocean, as per Indie Wire. The piglet dreams of seeing the light of the day out of the ocean and being lucky enough to become the star of a documentary.

Her world shifts when a mysterious aircraft sinks onto the ocean, and she sets off on an extraordinary journey, possibly full of dangers. The dangers could be linked to her adventures beyond the surface of the water.

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Indie Wire further reported that,

The film is “inspired by remarkable real-life marine creatures, [and] 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.” [Source]  

The feature is said to be loosely inspired by Claire Nouvian’s French photo book “The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss.” The director aims to bring the vibrant marine life to the big screens with fascinating visuals. The story is predicted to make connections between humans and the sea creatures. Hence, the same colorful images will be a part of his animated world for Ally. 

Seo Woo-sik is making his third collaboration with Joon-ho, as he is producing Ally after Mother (2009) and Okja (2017). Leading creative talents from 12 countries are on board for bringing Ally’s jaw-dropping marine world to life. Some of them include Jae Hyung Kim, who has worked previously on Toy Story 4 (2019) and Inside Out (2015), David Liman, who has the Shrek franchise under his belt, and Marcin Jakubowski, who has created Klaus (2019). 

How Bong Joon-ho’s past work shapes the social depth of Ally

As Ally would explore themes of friendship, courage, bravery, and connection, the story is speculated to be an extraordinary venture into the life of the said creature. Joon-ho is known to craft stories that frame inequality, just as we have seen in Parasite. The divide might be apparent between ocean depths with non-human creatures and the surface world full of humans. 

Mickey 17 director has also worked along the lines of environmental exploitation in films, such as Okja and The Host (2006). And when the classic Joon-ho strikes, we might expect the plane to crash into the ocean, bringing a clash of human technology and the fragile ecosystem. The powerless sea creatures might be at the mercy of humans’ carelessness. 

He has often shown empathy surrounding human characters, but this time, the narrative is flipped when the protagonist is a sea creature. The film literally intends to explore the relationship between the human race and little creatures, and this phrasing alone suggests tension, imbalance, or maybe even exploitation. It might lead us to question human superiority and moral blind spots, somewhat in line with Bong’s previous work.

The film is marketed as a family film with action and adventure, which means Bong means to use the cute characters who could have existential stakes. The adventures might turn into a systemic critique, and emotional bonds might convert into moral discomfort. 

Animation seems to give Bong more freedom to exaggerate the class system divide visually under the depths of water. The scale differences could be more visible in the shades of justice or injustice, even if not literal. It would allow him to reach a wider audience, which, on the surface, would be an engaging story, but underneath would likely be a commentary about power, inequality, or human behavior. 

When is Ally releasing?

Neon has recently acquired the distribution rights of Ally, but no official release date has been announced yet. It is only known that the film will be completed in the first half of 2027.