Director Bong Joon Ho is lining up the cast for his new film "Okja." So far the potential candidates include a few international stars but no Korean actors.
According to the American entertainment publication Variety, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Bill Nighy and Scottish actress Kelly MacDonald are in the running for roles in his film.
At the Busan International Film Festival, Swinton hinted that she would again work with Bong Joon Ho.
"I am already planning more adventures with Bong Joon Ho," she said at a press event. "He is a great master."
The Korean media outlet Star also reported Swinton's excitement about the upcoming project.
"You won't be disappointed," she said.
Swinton worked with Bong on the international post-apocalyptic film "Snowpiercer," which also starred Song Kang Ho, Go Seung Ah, Chris Evans, Jamie Bll, Octavia Spencer and John Hurt. The film told the story of a train hurtling through a world frozen by misfired attempts to stop global warming. The cruel hierarchy established within the train led the underprivileged to rebel against the privileged even though they risked dying in the frozen world outside. According to Variety, the film ultimately earned $59.8 million in Korea and $4.56 million in North America.
The Korean media outlet Korea Herald reported that "Okja" will be a monster movie similar to Bong Joon Ho's previous hit the ecological horror film "The Host." The film, which starred Bae Doo Na, Song Kang Ho, Go Ah Seung and Park Hae Il, won several awards at the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Asian Film Awards.
"Okja" will be set in New York and Korea. And it will be bilingual.
The film's budget will depend on casting and given the number of top tier celebritiescurrently in the running, it is likely to be a healthy budget.
Jake Gyllenhall starred in the films "Brokeback Mountain" and "The Prince of Persia." In 2015 he has roles in three films, "Accidental Love," "Southpaw" and Everest."
Tilda Swinton last appeared in the film "Grand Budapest Hotel" and this year can be seen in "Train Wreck." Paul Dano played Brian Wilson in the film "Love and Mercy." Bill Nighy appeared in the films "Love Actually" and was last seen in "The Second Best Marigold Hotel." Kelly MacDonald can be seen this year in the film "Special Correspondents."
The bilingual film is currently in pre-production with shooting scheduled to begin in April 2016. "Okja" is scheduled to hit theaters in mid 2017.
