Finn Wolfhard, Rachel House, Werner Herzog and Alex Jayne Go also join the all-star cast of the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s first venture into animation, set for a 2027 theatrical release, backed by CJ ENM, Penture Invest, and Pathé, with DNEG handling the 3DCG.
Ayo Edebiri, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Finn Wolfhard, Rachel House, Werner Herzog and Alex Jayne Go have joined the voice cast of Bong Joon-Ho’s animated feature Ally. The Oscar-winning filmmaker’s first venture into animation, in development since 2019, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027 with worldwide theatrical release the same year. Financing and distribution are being handled by CJ ENM, Penture Invest, and Pathé.
Bong directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Jason Yu; the film is produced by Seo Woo-sik, marking his third collaboration with Bong following Mother and Okja. Production is overseen by Barunson C&C.
The story centers on Ally, a curious piglet squid living in the depths of the South Pacific Ocean who dreams of seeing the sun and becoming the star of a wildlife documentary. When a mysterious aircraft sinks into the sea, her world is disrupted, sending her on a journey to the surface alongside a group of unlikely companions. Inspired by real marine creatures, the narrative explores themes of friendship and courage as encounters between humans and deep-sea life reshape both worlds. A family adventure, it blends humor and emotion, set against expansive underwater environments and large-scale action sequences.
The production brings together creative talent from 12 countries, including animation supervisor Jae Hyung Kim, supervising producer David Lipman, and production designer Marcin Jakubowski. DNEG is contributing to the project’s 3D animation work.
Bong is known for films including Parasite, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, becoming the first South Korean film to win an Academy Award, as well as Snowpiercer, Memories of Murder, Mother, and Mickey 17. CJ ENM is a leading entertainment company founded in Korea in 1995. Its entertainment division spans media content, music, film, and performing arts; projects include the Oscar-winning film Parasite, Tony Award-winning musicals such as Kinky Boots, TV series such as Queen of Tears, and the global music competition show I Can See Your Voice.
Go made her feature debut in Searching and has appeared in Emily’s Wonder Lab and Pretzel and the Puppies. Emmy, SAG, Critics Choice, and Golden Globe Award – winning Edebiri, known for The Bear, recently appeared in After the Hunt and Inside Out 2, and will next star in Clarissa from filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri.
12-time Academy Award nominee Cooper’s credits include Maestro, A Star Is Born, American Sniper, Joker and Silver Linings Playbook. Bautista recently appeared in The Last Showgirl and Wrecking Crew, and can be seen next in Roadhouse 2 and Highlander.
Wolfhard is known for Stranger Things, It, Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Hell of a Summer, which he co-directed and co-wrote with Billy Bryk. He also voiced a role in the Oscar winning Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and is preparing to release his upcoming album Fire From The Hip this July.
House previously voiced characters in Moana, Moana 2 and Soul, and recently appeared in A Minecraft Movie. Director, writer, producer, actor, and poet, Herzog, most famous for his unique filmmaking and narration, recently completed production on Bucking Fastard and is preparing The Twilight World.
NEON will release Ally in North American theaters in 2027, while Pathé will distribute in France, Benelux, Switzerland and West Africa. CJ and Penture will distribute in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey and Indonesia. Pathé is handling international sales excluding Japan and China, where CJ and Penture will manage sales.
Source: CJ ENM
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
