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Netflix invests $50 million toward Bong Joon-ho’s latest film ‘Okja’

November 10, 2015

Director Bong Joon-ho arrives at the Los Angeles Film Festival Opening Night Gala – “Snowpiercer” on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

By Brian Han

Back in 2012, Netflix decided to evolve from a streaming-only service to a creator of original content, but it wasn’t until recently that the company started to invest in feature-length films. In fact it released its first one in October titled “Beasts of No Nation.”

Now the U.S. site is injecting $50 million into the latest project of South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho “Okja.”

The amount covers all expenses and will be co-produced with Plan B Entertainment — an American studio co-founded by Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

The story begins with a girl who becomes friends with an animal. It then follows the duo as they travel through South Korea and the U.S.

“I needed greater budget and freedom for ‘Okja’ than I had with ‘Snowpiercer,’” Bong wrote in a statement released by the studio. “Netflix has provided me with both, which is an amazing opportunity for a director.”

Bong set the record for most expensive South Korean film of all time with “Snowpiercer” at $40 million and he will be breaking that record once more.

Similar to his approach in the past, his newest project will bring together Korean filmmaking styles with notable American actors including Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton.

Casting for Korean actors is still underway.

Filming will begin soon and the movie is set to be released in 2017.