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In the original Netflix adventure OkjaPaul Dano, Lily Collins, Steven Yeun, Devon Bostick and Daniel Henshall play bickering leaders of the Animal Liberation Front. Their bickering is about the most pure read of their member's manual and the proper use of translation of language. It's but one comedic celebration and critique of modern times, that activists need purity in their group although anyone who's on board with their fringe cause should feel equal in that realm. The Liberators have teamed with a young Korean girl named Mija (An Seo Huyn) to free her beloved "super-pig" (a genetically modified pig bread by a corporation to be really large and thus feed more people from one animal) from the corporation that created it.

Image via Netflix
Image via Netflix

Recently, I got the chance to sit down with three of the members of this liberation—Dano, Collins and Yeun—to discuss Bong Joon-ho's new Netflix movie. We discussed their bonded moments with pets, their character names (J, K, Blond, Red, and Silver; you can probably guess the question), plus Dano's peculiar presence in films in which flatulence is used as an escape method (Okja and Swiss Army Man).

The film will be released on Netflix and in select cities June 28. The official synopsis follows.

For 10 idyllic years, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja – a massive animal and an even bigger friend – at her home in the mountains of South Korea. But that changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.

 

With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.

 

Deftly blending genres, humor, poignancy and drama, Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host) begins with the gentlest of premises-the bond between man and animal-and ultimately creates a distinct and layered vision of the world that addresses the animal inside us all.

 

Okja is a Plan B Entertainment, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company production in association with Netflix.

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Image via Netflix
okja-poster-red-lily-collins
Image via Netflix
okja-poster-k-steven-yeun
Image via Netflix