Parasite director is making the most expensive Korean movie in history

Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is set to make the most expensive Korean movie in history.

Over the last few years, Korean thriller Parasite has become one of the most revered and acclaimed films in modern cinema. It follows the struggling Kim family, who spot an opportunity when their son starts working for the wealthy Park family. Soon, all of them find a way to work within the same household and start living a parasitic life.

Released in 2019, the movie has only just been knocked off its pedestal on Letterboxd’s most popular movies list, while also being beat out in box office milestones by the titan that was Godzilla Minus One.

However, Parasite’s director is now moving on to bigger things, now set to make the most expensive movie in Korean cinema history.

Parasite director is making the most expensive Korean movie in history

Bong Joon-ho, the critically acclaimed director behind Parasite, is now set to make the most expensive movie in Korean cinematic history.

According to a report from Daum, Bong Joon-ho’s next project is set to be worth around 70 billion won, which is around $52 million. The movie is also set to be animated, with worldwide distribution being handled by Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse team Sony Pictures.

Sony currently has its hands full with this week’s release of Madame Web, and judging by early fan reactions, the studio is probably looking to regain favor through the Parasite director.

Interestingly, this won’t be the only Korean-directed animation in recent years, but it doesn’t actually have the biggest budget of the lot. The report also highlights Elemental, directed by Peter Sohn, which had a budget of $200 million (266.5 million won), while Wall-E similarly cost around $180 million (just under 240 million won).

Bong Joon-ho’s other notable project, Mickey 17, has now been indefinitely delayed, meaning the director will be returning to his work on the animated project instead.

Mickey 17 is set to star Robert Pattinson and Toni Collette, focusing on “a disposable employee is sent on a human expedition to colonize the ice world Niflheim. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact.”