Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM, the studio famously behind Bong Joon Ho’s multi-Oscar-winning Parasite, has signed a three-year pact with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to boost Asian cinema’s presence in Hollywood.
The agreement’s first initiative, spearheaded under CJ ENM’s support, will be the world’s first museum exhibition dedicated to Bong’s work. Opening March 23 and titled “Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho,” the exhibition will be comprised of more than 100 original items, including storyboards, research materials, film posters, concept art, creature designs, props and on-set photographs. The project will also include an exhibition space featuring a creative workspace filled with various objects that inspired Bong’s films as well as an accompanying retrospective screening series of his movies themselves.
“This partnership aims to expand the presence of not only Korean but also outstanding Asian films in mainstream Hollywood, building on CJ ENM’s success in leading Korean cinema’s global advancement,” the museum and studio said Sunday in a joint statement.
Bong has long been one of South Korea’s most innovative and commercially successful auteurs, acclaimed for his deft handling of genre, sharp social commentary and dark humor. He made his debut with Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), a pitch-black comedy that hinted at the wild but somehow effortless tonal shifts that would become his signature. His big breakthrough came with Memories of Murder (2003), a haunting, socially astute police procedural inspired by South Korea’s first known serial killer. He followed with the wildly original creature feature The Host (2006), a box office smash that mixed horror, social satire, and Spielbergian family adventure. In his cross-overs to Hollywood — the dystopian sci-fis Snow Piercer (2013), Okja (2017), and Mikey 17 (currently on release) — he has continued tweaking genre conventions and deep social issues. But it was Bong’s Parasite (2019) that became a cultural watershed for both Korean and world cinema: a razor-sharp class satire that won the Cannes Palme d’Or and made history as the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for best picture.
The exhibition devoted to Bong follows the Academy Museum’s retrospective in 2023 of the work of the auteur’s regular leading man, Korean acting great Song Kang-ho.
CJ vice chairwoman Miky Lee has been a supporter of the Academy Museum since joining its Board of Trustees in 2019. She also served as vice chair of the museum’s board, and she was honored with the Pillar Award at the 2022 Academy Museum Gala in recognition of her leadership and contributions.
“We’re so thankful to Academy Museum Trustee Miky Lee and CJ ENM for their support of the Academy Museum and dedication to showcase Korean Cinema in our galleries and programming,” said Academy Museum director and president Amy Homma. “’Director’s Inspiration: Bong Joon Ho’ will give our visitors insight and a deepened understanding of Bong’s creative processes, and we are excited to continue to share in-depth explorations of Korean stories in the future through this partnership.”
Added a representative from CJ ENM: “Since 1995, we have worked tirelessly for 30 years to promote the value and status of Korean cinema. Through this partnership, we hope to contribute to the successful global establishment of Asian creators who possess both distinctive artistry and mass appeal.”
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