Brad Pitt and Netflix helping to bring Bong Joon-ho’s Okja to life

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

This is a helluva cool time to be a monster movie fan. We’ve got Nacho Vigalondo working on a killer kaiju tale called COLOSSAL starring Anne Hathaway; Legendary Pictures is bringing King Kong to life with KONG: SKULL ISLAND (and, eventually, GODZILLA 2 and KONG VS. GODZILLA), and perhaps most excitingly, Bong Joon-ho – director of one of the better monster movies in recent memory – is currently tackling another creature feature called OKJA.

Some news on that last title: THE HOST director’s new project has found some supporters in the forms of Brad Pitt’s Plan B (WORLD WAR Z) and Netflix; the former will co-produce OKJA while the latter will help finance.

The film has already compiled a killer cast: Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Bill Nighy and Kelly MacDonald are all on board the flick, which is Bong’s followup to SNOWPIERCER (so excited to see him reunite with Swinton after their killer collaboration on that film). Might Pitt score a roll in it now that he’s on board as producer?

Now onto the plot, which we haven’t heard much about but sounds compelling and odd. Here’s what Bong has had to say about the titular creature:

It is a bulky animal, but with a mild and kind spirit. The film is about a warm friendship between a country girl and a brute with stories. To me, the crazy world surrounding Okja and the girl looks more like a monster. I want to depict the two characters’ bizarre journey and adventure across the tough world in an original fashion.”

Production on OKJA is expected to begin in April, with shooting taking place in both Korea and the U.S. Theatrical release is expected in the first half of 2017. Bring. It. On.

Kelly Macdonald