Bong Joon Ho Calls His Upcoming Animated Film a 'Wild and Grueling Adventure'
Renowned Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho, currently serving as jury president at this year’s Marrakech International Film Festival, has given fans a rare update on his secretive animated feature. The highly anticipated project, still untitled and expected to premiere in 2027, has the director working tirelessly—even while attending international events.
“I’m in the thick of an absolutely chaotic animation process,” Bong admitted with a laugh. “It’s a wild, demanding job. I was even working from my hotel room this morning. It’s tough, really tough work.” His words capture both the exhaustion and excitement fueling his latest creative journey.
When asked for more insight, Bong described the project as “a very unusual and humorous story exploring the complex relationship between humanity and mysterious creatures dwelling deep in the ocean.” The brief tease confirms details previously announced, hinting at an imaginative narrative with his signature blend of social commentary and surrealism. But here’s where it gets even more intriguing—how will Bong’s dark humor and storytelling translate into animation, a medium he’s exploring for the first time at this scale?
Alongside Bong, the jury lineup includes Celine Song, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jenna Ortega, Karim Aïnouz, Hakim Belabbes, Julia Ducournau, and Payman Maadi. Together, this diverse panel will determine the winner of the festival’s prestigious Golden Star (Etoile d’Or), chosen from fourteen films by first- and second-time directors.
During the festival, Bong reflected on the challenges that today’s new filmmakers face compared to when he started out. And this is the part that could spark debate: he suggested that artificial intelligence (AI) might trigger a new kind of crisis in the film industry—but argued that such a crisis could actually invigorate cinema rather than destroy it.
“There’s always been some kind of crisis in cinema,” he explained through an interpreter. “Maybe with AI, the crisis will feel even larger—but from that pressure can come greater energy, stronger aesthetics, and perhaps a new wave of creativity. So, in a strange way, a crisis might actually make cinema more exciting.”
That said, Bong didn’t shy away from sharing his personal stance—one that will surely stir conversation. Earlier the same day, he openly declared his dislike for AI, joking that he’d love to form a ‘military squad’ whose only mission would be to eliminate artificial intelligence entirely.
So here’s the question for film lovers and creators alike: Is AI truly the threat to artistic expression that many fear—or could it become the spark for a bold new era in storytelling? What do you think—should filmmakers embrace the tools of the future, or defend the human touch that defines cinema today?
