The Oscar-winning director of international smash-hit Parasite is finally eyeing his first project since triumphing at the Academy Awards… and The Batman‘s Robert Pattinson is tipped to star.
Bong Joon-ho, who won four Oscars for Parasite, is potentially adapting a novel which is yet to be published – Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. Although it may just be “inspired by” the book, rather than a direct adaptation.
Sources have told Deadline that Director Bong is in talks with Warner Bros and Plan B, looking to close a deal. According to Deadline; “Towards the end of 2021, Bong Joon-ho was presented the manuscript for the unpublished book by Ashton, which immediately drew his interest.”
“The Oscar winner became loosely attached to the project late last year and prior to the holiday break met with some of the town’s most promising stars as every A-lister in their 30s was chasing the role. It wasn’t long before Bong and execs were impressed with Pattinson following his meeting and felt he was perfect for the role, with an offer going out right before the new year.”
Pattinson will of course next be seen in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which is still on-track for a March release date. Warner Bros are so confident in the success of the superhero movie, which stands separately from the DCEU, that they have already commissioned two spin-off series. One is called Gotham PD and one centres around Colin Farrell’s The Penguin.
Pattinson has appeared in a broad range of roles since becoming a teen heart-throb in the Twilight series. He has worked with David Cronenberg twice, as well as the Safdie Brothers in Good Time, Claire Denis in High Life and Robert Eggers in The Lighthouse. He has become increasingly in-demand and last year starred in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Bong Joon-ho’s directing career spans over two decades, starting with Barking Dogs Never Bite, Memories of Murder (widely considered one of the best thriller movies), The Host and Mother in his native Korea. He crossed-over into English-language film with Snowpiercer starring Chris Evans and Netflix‘s Okja which co-stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano, alongside main star Seo-hyun Ahn.
Parasite was the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture and it is now being developed into a TV series.
If you’re into movies such as Okja, Snowpiercer and The Host, you might enjoy our guide to the best science fiction movies.