Director Bong Joon-ho's first feature-length animated film, "Ally," has locked in its theatrical release for July next year in South Korea. In France, the film is set to open in theaters on July 14 next year.

"Ally" follows the story of deep-sea creatures living in an ocean canyon who grow curious about the world of humans.

Ally, a young piglet squid who dreams of seeing the sun in person and appearing on television, suddenly faces danger alongside her friends when an unidentified aircraft crashes into the sea. Swept into an unexpected grand adventure, they embark on a journey toward the world above the surface. "Ally" is set to deliver breathtaking visuals, thrilling action, delightful humor, and heartfelt emotion.

Marking Director Bong Joon-ho's first venture into feature animation, "Ally" is a global project featuring top-tier creators from 12 countries, including South Korea, France, and the United Kingdom. Director Jason Yu of "Sleep" joined the production as a co-writer. The international voice cast features global stars including Alex Jayne Go, Emmy Award winner Ayo Edebiri, Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Finn Wolfhard, and Rachel House, alongside Oscar-nominated filmmaker Werner Herzog.

In addition, Jae Hyung Kim, who worked on "Toy Story 4" and "Inside Out," serves as animation supervisor, while Marcin Jakubowski of the Netflix animated film "Klaus" serves as production designer. David Lipman of "Shrek" and "Shrek 2" also joined the production team. Furthermore, global visual effects studio DNEG, renowned for its work on "Inception" and "Dune" as well as its world-class 3D animation expertise, took part to elevate the film's visual craftsmanship.

"Ally" will roll out theatrical releases across the world in collaboration with leading regional partners. In South Korea, investment and distribution are led by CJ ENM alongside the Penture K-Content Fund operated by Penture Invest. CJ ENM and Penture Invest will oversee distribution in South Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and Indonesia.

Major French studio Pathé Films, one of the oldest film companies in the world, boarded "Ally" as a co-investor and distributor, handling releases across France, Benelux, Switzerland, and West Africa. In the United States, distribution will be handled by NEON, which has introduced globAlly celebrated titles to North American audiences, including Director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite," Cannes Palme d'Or winners, and Academy Award Best Picture recipients. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)