Parasite director Bong Joon Ho continues to surprise us with his dark sci-fi comedy Mickey 17. Despite Mickey 17 having more mixed reviews than the Oscar-winning Parasite, the acclaim that the former received proves Bong has not lost his edge and remains one of cinema’s most distinctive creators. This has made his next big movie another highly-anticipated project.

The Mickey 17 director has revealed that he is currently working on an animated movie, making it a surprising deviation from Bong Joon Ho’s previous films. Since many of Bong’s projects have been live-action films, his follow-up to 2025’s Mickey 17 will present a unique cinematic experience from the esteemed director. Though details surrounding the film are still scarce, the story and talent that Bong has ᴀssembled so far hints at another must-see movie from the acclaimed filmmaker.

Bong Joon Ho Is Making His First Animated Movie After Mickey 17

Bong Joon Ho Will Explore A New Medium For His Next Feature Film

After making his fourth sci-fi film with Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho will release his first animated feature film, The Valley, in 2027. Bong reportedly first experimented with animation as a university student with his 1992 stop-motion short film Looking for Paradise (via The Hollywood Reporter). While all of his films following this short have been live-action projects, Bong had expressed his desire to return to his roots and shift mediums to animation (via The Korean Herald).

Unlike Looking for Paradise, The Valley will be a completely CG-animated feature created with the help of the Korean VFX studio 4th Creative Party, who collaborated with Bong on The Host, Snowpiercer, and Okja. It will also present cinematography done by Hong Kyung-pyo, who previously worked with Bong on Parasite. The film will also feature voice acting from acclaimed German director Werner Herzog, who starred in 2012’s Jack Reacher and season 1 of The Mandalorian.

What Bong Joon Ho’s Animated Movie Is About

The Valley Explores Subject Matter Both New And Familiar To Bong Joon Ho

Since The Valley is still in the early stages of production, much of the film’s story hasn’t been revealed to the public. However, it is said to be an animated drama involving humans and deep-sea creatures. Like many of Bong’s past films, The Valley will feature a script written by the director himself. However, according to The Korean Herald, the movie is inspired by Claire Nouvian’s book The Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss.

Deep-sea creatures also haven’t been explored in Bong’s films in great detail. However, Bong explored humanity’s relationships with wildlife through creatures through the super pigs in Okja and the alien Creepers in Mickey 17. The way Bong has addressed people’s mistreatment of nature could be a theme brought up in The Valley with the way it depicts humans alongside the creatures of the deep.

Bong Joon Ho Jumping Into Animation Is Incredibly Exciting

The Valley Will Be A Bold New Adventure From A Versatile Director

Since Bong Joon-ho has delivered several popular and acclaimed films over the years, The Valley will surely be another exciting cinematic event when it comes out in 2027. This ambitious film will also likely show Bong making history in South Korean cinema once more, as the movie is expected to have a significant budget compared to other Korean animated films.

Bong has already displayed great skill in directing live-action/CG-hybrids with Snowpiercer, Okja, and Mickey 17. This experience should translate well into his work on The Valley. Given Bong’s masterful and meticulous style of filmmaking, he could very well end up creating a CG-animated hit unlike anything ever seen before.

Overall, Bong has shown his desire to push himself as a filmmaker with his production The Valley. Despite winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars with Parasite, Bong proves he is willing to explore new horizons, which he did by directing the Hollywood blockbuster Mickey 17. With The Valley supposedly coming in two or three years, Bong has shown no signs of slowing down.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, The Korean Herald