Netflix Shells Out $50 Million For ‘Okja’, From ‘Snowpiercer’ Director Bong Joon-Ho
Bong Joon-ho’sSnowpiercerturned out to be one of the best films of 2014, but you may recall that its path to U.S. cinemas was a rocky one. The Weinstein Co. picked it up and thentried to chop it upagainst the director’s wishes. Bong finally emerged victorious — the cut that ultimately got releasedwas the one he wanted— but only after lots ofpublicdisagreementandcontroversy.
Fortunately, Bong’s next effort should have a much easier time making it to American audiences intact. Netflix has just signed on to finance Bong’sOkjato the tune of $50 million.Brad Pitt’s Plan B is also on board to co-produce.As we reported last month, the star-studded cast includesJake Gyllenhaal,Tilda Swinton, andBill Nighy. Get more details on the Netflix Okja news after the jump.
Netflixannouncedthe news today. It goes without saying that $50 million is a whole lot of money, but it’s especially notable because at $42 million, Bong’sSnowpiercerwas one of the most expensive Korean movies of all time. Netflix hasn’t been afraid to throw money at projects it deems worthy, though. Earlier this year, the company invested an astounding$60 millionin Pitt’s military satireWar Machine.
Okjafollows a Korean girl who befriends a kindhearted monster. (The title refers to the name of the monster.) The film splits its time between the U.S. and Korea. Gyllenhaal, Swinton, Nighy,Paul Dano, andKelly Macdonaldplay supporting characters in scenes set in New York City. Casting is still underway for the lead role of the girl, who hails from the South Korean province of Gangwon-do.
Said Bong in a statement:
It really is a fantastic opportunity for me as a filmmaker. ForOkja, I needed a bigger budget than I had forSnowpiercerand also complete creative freedom. Netflix offered me the two conditions that are difficult to have in hand simultaneously.
Yeah, I’ll bet he’s really excited about the “complete creative freedom” part. Netflix has developed a reputation for giving film and TV creators a lot of leeway — even when said artists' decisionsinspire a lot of grumblingfrom the general public — and lately it’s tried to push into artier fare with Cary Fukunaga’sBeasts of No Nation. In that light, Bong’sOkjaseems like a great fit.
Particularly as the streaming service is looking to expand into South Korea next year. Backing a popular homegrown director seems like a savvy way for the company to endear itself to an unfamiliar market.Okjais one of Netflix’s few Asian productions along withCrouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2and the original dramaMarco Polo.
Snowpiercerwas Bong’s first English-language film.Okjawill feature both English and Korean. Bong’s films in his native language includeMother,The Host, andMemories of Murder. Shooting onOkjawill begin in Korea and the U.S. in late 2016 for release in 2017.
