Neon has acquired the North American rights to Bong Joon-ho’s first animated film, Ally. The acquisition reunites Bong with the company behind the Oscar-winning dark comedy “Parasite.”
“Ally,” which has been in development since 2019, is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2027. In addition to directing, Bong co-wrote the screenplay for “Ally” with Jason Yu (“Sleep”).
Described as a “family adventure blending humor and emotion,” the story follows a curious and endearing cuttlefish that lives in the uncharted depths of the South Pacific. She dreams of one day seeing the sun and becoming the star of a wildlife documentary. But her peaceful world is suddenly in danger when a mysterious plane sinks into the ocean. According to the official logline, the film is “inspired by amazing real-life marine life” and “explores themes of friendship and courage as encounters between humans and deep-sea creatures reshape both worlds.”
“Ally” marks the sixth collaboration between Bong and Neon CEO Tom Quinn. This is the company’s first project in seven years, since “Parasite” became the first foreign film to win the Best Picture Oscar. In addition to winning awards, “Parasite” grossed more than $53 million domestically and $250 million worldwide. The director’s other major films include Snowpiercer, Murder Memories, The Host, and Okja. His most recent work was the Warner Bros. sci-fi satire “Mickey 17,” which grossed $133 million worldwide against a hefty $118 million budget.
CJ ENM, Penture Invest and Pathé are responsible for financing and distribution, with Barunson C&C overseeing production. Seo Woo-shik is the producer of this film, and this will be his third collaboration with director Bong after “Mother” and “Okja.”
Pathé will be responsible for distribution in France, Benelux, Switzerland and West Africa, while CJ and Pencher will be responsible for distribution in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey and Indonesia. Pathé will be responsible for international sales, excluding Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where CJ and Penture will handle sales. Sarah Colvin, Neon’s senior vice president of acquisitions, negotiated the deal with WME on behalf of the filmmakers.
Neon is gearing up to head to the Cannes Film Festival. The indie distributor will announce a number of titles there, including Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi thriller “Hope,” Arthur Harari’s “The Undiscovered,” Christian Mungiu’s “Fjord,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Sheep in the Box,” and Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Sheep in the Box,” among others. “Her Private Hell” is not eligible for competition.
