Bong Joon Ho attained new heights when he triumphed at the Academy Awards back in February. The South Korean director essentially strolled away with the cream of the crop at the Oscars, winning Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Picture for his extraordinary work on Parasite.
Several moments before the big sweep, Empire chanced upon the director during which he was asked about his directorial future, to which he replied:
“I would love to make a musical. Characters would begin singing, then think, ‘Oh my God, [expletive] this, this is too cheesy,’ and stop suddenly. There are amazing musical films, like Singin’ In The Rain. But when I watch them, I feel very embarrassed and start blushing. So it would have to be… different.”
I don’t really know if he was taking the question in jest, but let’s just say he was serious. Bong has proven, time and again, that he is one of the best modern filmmakers out there. Prior to Parasite, films like Mother, Memories of Murder, The Host, and Snowpiercer (my personal favourite) have all been highly regarded as amazing pieces of cinema. And the great thing is that they are distinctly different. A versatile director, Bong is, with his ability to twirl comedy, horror, suspense, and even action into a quirky yet cohesive blend of his own. So, who knows, maybe his next film could involve leprechauns and minotaurs breaking out into song mid-battle. Just my fantasy.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker is currently working on his TV adaptation of Parasite with Mark Ruffalo attached to star. Bong has expressed that it will be an expanded version of his work, that universe having so much more to offer. Fingers crossed, what he means is that we could get the Hulk to express his inner songbird, belting out Beyonce’s Greatest Hits on command and forging an eternal alliance with the creatures of the woods.
