After expanding his live-action repertoire with Parasite, Snowpiercer, and Mickey 17, Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon Ho is taking a stab at his first animated feature. Ally, first announced in 2018, has unveiled the first wave of its voice cast, and it’s looking stacked.
Alongside 12-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), the list also includes Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Rachel House (Moana), and Werner Herzog (The Wild Blue Yonder). The project will mark Cooper’s return to animated voice work after his previous stints on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, with details on each of their respective roles remaining under wraps.
Newcomer Alex Jayne Go, who led the announcement on the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, is expected to voice the main character in the film, which follows a curious piglet squid as she journeys from the ocean’s uncharted depths to its surface after a mysterious aircraft sinks into her habitat.
The official synopsis reads, “At the heart of the story lies Ally, a curious and endearing piglet squid living in the uncharted depths of the South Pacific Ocean. She dreams of one day seeing the sun and becoming the star of a wildlife documentary. But when a mysterious aircraft sinks into the ocean, her peaceful world is suddenly thrown into danger. Alongside her colourful and loyal — yet unlikely — companions, Ally is thrust into an extraordinary journey that will take her all the way to the surface.
“Inspired by remarkable real-life marine creatures, the film explores themes of friendship and courage, as encounters between humans and the creatures of the deep reshape both worlds. Set against visually stunning underwater worlds and epic action sequences, the film is a family adventure blending humour and emotion.”
In addition to directing duties, Bong also co-wrote the script with Jason Yu (Sleep), while Seo Woo-sik (Mother, Okja) is producing. The 3D animation will be handled by special effects studio DNEG (Inception, Dune), comprising a creative team that spans 12 countries, including animation supervisor Jae Hyung Kim (Toy Story 4, Inside Out).
Ally is targeting a release in the first half of 2027, ahead of a global theatrical debut later that year.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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