David Farnor | On 16, Jun 2017

It’s only a matter of days until Netflix’s Okja finally arrives on our screens – and if you had any doubts about the appeal of a huge, galumphing animal, the new trailer will make you want one of your own.

“With poppy visuals, a very smart script from Ronson and Bong Joon-ho, Okja is a delightful adventure with a confrontational message we cannot ignore. Uncle Walt would never make a film like this,” we wrote in our review at Cannes.

The film, which stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano, follows a girl who must keep a powerful company from abducting her eponymous pal, a gentle beast. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the Netflix original comes to subscribers around the world with a Cannes premiere under its belt, but for many, the new trailer has another claim to fame that will make it stand out: a haunting choral rendition of Nine Inch Nails’ Piggy.

Okja is released on 28th June. You can read our review here – or keep scrolling for the new video:

 

Full poster and trailer reveal first look at Netflix’s Okja

18th May 2017

Netflix’s Okja will have its world premiere at the 70th Cannes Film Festival on Friday 19th May – and to celebrate, the streaming giant has unveiled the first full trailer for the film.

Bong Joon Ho’s latest follows Mija (An Seo Hyun), who, for 10 years, has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja — a massive animal and an even bigger friend — at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.

Co-written by Jon Ronson, the movie’s esteemed international ensemble cast includes Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito and Jake Gyllenhaal. While fans clamour to get a glmpse of them on the red carpet, the new trailer gives us at home our first look at the gigantic animal at the heart of the movie.

To see the rest of Okja, you’ll have to wait until Wednesday 28th June, when it premieres worldwide on Netflix – and will also be available in UK cinemas. Here’s the trailer – read on for the new poster too.

 

 

 

Watch: Tilda Swinton’s video message for Okja

27th April 2017

It’s not long now until Netflix’s Okja premieres at Cannes, and the streaming service is ramping up the hype with a new video message from Tilda Swinton.

Swinton, who appeared in Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer, looks to be on equally colourful form in his Netflix sci-fi, as she plays Lucy Mirando, the image obsessed and self-promoting CEO of the Mirando Corporation. The global company kidnaps the eponymous Okja, an animal and friend of young Mija (An Seo Hyun), with big plans for the future of the animal.

The film follows Mija’s attempt at a rescue mission, one that will see her cross paths with capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja. Now, we have a glimpse of the Mirando Corporation’s intentions, with Lucy’s new announcement of the company’s “Super Pig Project”.

“10 years in the making, these beautiful Super Pigs will be an awesome addition to the Mirando line of wholesome, organic foods you and your family enjoy every day,” she declares. And before you can say ‘cool viral marketing’, she also announces a new website, www.superpigproject.com, and unveils her Twitter handle: @LucyMirando.

 

Okja: Netflix unveils new images and plot details

27th March 2017

June is gradually getting closer and with it comes the promise of brand new film from Bong Joon Ho: Okja.

Netflix’s original film sees the Snowpiercer director team up with Jon Ronson to bring us a globe-trotting adventure about one girl and her best – a massive beast named Okja.

We’ve already seen some of the impressive cast (which includes Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins and newcomer An Seo Hyun) in action, in both a teaser trailer and a bunch of images. Now, we’ve got an even closer look at the movie – plus more details about its characters.

For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when the family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image-obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.
With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.

Here’s An Seo Hyun in action as Mija, who simultaneously takes on big business and the big city – both for the first time:

And Jake Gyllenhaal as zoologist, TV personality and face of the Mirando Corporation, Dr. Johnny Wilcox:

And finally, another look at CEO Lucy Mirando, who is unveiling her campaign to rebrand the Mirando Corporation:

Okja will premiere on Netflix on Wednesday 28th June, although we have a sneaking suspicion it may premiere at Cannes before then. Watch this space. Or, even better, read on below to watch the trailer.
 

New trailer for Netflix’s Okja teases June release

28th February 2017

Netflix has released the first trailer for Bong Joon Ho’s Okja.

The film follows the epic journey of Mija, a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named ‘Okja’.

Co-written by Jon Ronson, and starring Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins and newcomer Seo Hyun An, the film is released on Netflix worldwide on 28th June.

Here’s the trailer:

 

Okja: First picture of Lily Collins in Bong Joon-ho’s monster movie

23rd December 2016

Work continues on Bong Joon-ho’s new film, Okja, and the director has released some new images of the Netflix original.

The filmmaker has seen his star rise in the years since 2007’s creature feature The Host, with Snowpiercer going on to enjoy much acclaim and popularity – despite, sadly, never been released properly in the UK. There’s no danger of missing Okja, though, as Netflix pounced on the project to produce and distribute it. Along with the global streaming deal, Okja also boasts an impressive cast, including Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Giancarlo Esposito and The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun.

The film follows Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun), a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named ‘Okja’.

“It’s a very shy and introverted animal. It’s a unique animal that we’ve not seen before,” the director tells EW and NME, both of whom have published the same exclusive photos from the movie.

Mija’s fight to protect Okja takes her to New York City, which is where the new pictures come in, giving us both a first glimpse of Ahn Seo-hyun’s Mija and Lily Collins’ Red.

“Red is part of a group of animal rights activists that figure into the story,” explains the Joon-ho. “On Wall Street, it’s the heart of capitalism. On the surface is a story about an animal, but it’s essentially a story about capitalism.”

In addition to the photos of each, Netflix has also released a snazzy storyboard of a chase sequence through Manhattan, featuring Lily Collins’ Red.

Here she is in action:

 
Okja will be released globally on Netflix in 2017.

 

Netflix releases first image for Bong Joon-Ho’s Okja

20th July 2016

Netflix has released the first image for its upcoming original film, Okja.

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho, the film stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano in a global adventure. Written by Bong and Jon Ronson (Frank), the film follows Mija, a young girl who must risk everything to prevent a powerful, multi-national company from kidnapping her best friend – a massive animal named Okja. Mija will be played by Seohyun An.

Produced by Plan B, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company, the film was announced by Netflix in November last year, marking one of its first forays into Asian film production. Netflix invested a reported $50 million in the project. Principal photography began in April in Seoul, South Korea, with the production set to shoot in Canada and the US too, in both English and Korean.

Today, we have our first look at Tilda Swinton as Nancy Mirando and Giancarlo Esposito as Frank Dawson, shooting on location in New York City.

Okja will premiere globally on Netflix in 2017 and will also have a limited day and date theatrical release in the US.

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