Director Bong Joon Ho

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert Featuring Director Bong Joon Ho

Episode Overview In this engaging episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert sits down with acclaimed three-time Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon Ho. Known for his masterpieces such as Parasite, Snowpiercer, and Memories of Murder, Bong delves deep into his latest project, Mickey 17. The conversation traverses a variety of topics, including filmmaking processes, genre exploration, and the philosophical underpinnings of his work.

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1. Introduction and Guest Welcome

Stephen Colbert opens the episode with his characteristic humor, introducing Bong Joon Ho and highlighting his impressive filmography. He mentions Bong’s latest film, Mickey 17, and playfully teases about the complexities surrounding its title.

Notable Quote:

• Colbert [01:47]: "What's up with you and Kai bro? Wow, she. What are you supposed to do now? She's gonna go straight to Marsha and report us, isn't she?"

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2. Deep Dive into Mickey 17

Title Significance and Plot Mechanics Bong Joon Ho explains the rationale behind the film's title, Mickey 17, revealing that the number signifies the protagonist's multiple deaths and subsequent reprints.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [02:45]: "Why did you add 10 more mickeys?"
• Bong [03:28]: "So the number indicates how many times he's had to die."

Character Dynamics and Production Insights Discussing Robert Pattinson’s role, Bong highlights the character’s unique trait of repeated deaths and resurrections, emphasizing the actor's commitment to the complex role.

Notable Quote:

• Bong [03:56]: "Of course."

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3. Influences from The Thing

Philosophical Underpinnings Bong draws parallels between Mickey 17 and John Carpenter's The Thing, focusing on themes surrounding the human condition and the essence of humanity.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [05:25]: "What is it about the thing that influenced this?"
• Bong [05:55]: "I think it's a story about the human condition and asking what it means to be human."

Upcoming Collaboration Bong shares his excitement about an upcoming Q&A session with John Carpenter, highlighting the mutual respect between the two filmmakers.

Notable Quote:

• Bong [05:08]: "I'm going to be meeting John Carpenter."

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4. Introducing the "Creepers"

Creature Design and Significance Bong introduces the audience to the creatures featured in Mickey 17, affectionately named "creepers." He showcases a plush version of the baby creeper, emphasizing its importance in the narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [07:08]: "They're creepers."
• Bong [07:20]: "So this is a baby creeper."

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5. Political Satire and Global Reception

Characterization of Mark Ruffalo Bong discusses Mark Ruffalo’s portrayal of a cartoonish political leader with a dedicated fanbase, drawing comparisons to real-world political climates.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [08:19]: "Mark Ruffalo plays sort of a lout, a cartoonish, a political leader whose fans wear red hats."
• Bong [08:42]: "We've been screening this film in different countries... each country is going through some quite political situations."

Global Impact The director notes how different nations project their political experiences onto the film's characters, indicating the universal relevance of political satire in Mickey 17.

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6. Genre Exploration and Musicals

Diverse Genre Integration Mickey 17 is described as a blend of sci-fi, comedy, and romance, showcasing Bong’s versatility in handling multiple genres within a single narrative.

Notable Quote:

• Colbert [09:28]: "It's a sci-fi comedy and romance. That's a lot of different genres."

Musical Aspirations While Bong expresses admiration for musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, he candidly admits his reluctance to venture into musical filmmaking due to the abrupt transition from dialogue to song.

Notable Quotes:

• Bong [10:02]: "I can never make a musical. I can't stand the minute they start to sing."
• Colbert [10:32]: "Why? You killed all the cringe. That was beautiful."

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7. Filmmaking Process: Storyboarding vs. Working with Actors

Precision in Storyboarding Bong emphasizes the importance of meticulous storyboarding in his filmmaking process, aiming for perfection to ensure the final film aligns seamlessly with his vision.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [10:47]: "You storyboard every frame once you're done with the storyboarding."
• Bong [11:31]: "I get quite obsessed with making sure the storyboards are perfect."

Collaborative Flexibility with Actors Contrasting with his rigid storyboard process, Bong appreciates the spontaneity actors bring, encouraging improvisation to enrich performances.

Notable Quotes:

• Bong [11:56]: "With actors, I always tell them, improvise."
• Colbert [12:09]: "Please improvise. Oh, so you're getting the shots, and they have freedom internally."

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8. Conclusion and Release Information

Stephen Colbert wraps up the episode by sharing the release dates for Mickey 17 and the accompanying companion book, The Art of Making Mickey 1717. Bong expresses his enthusiasm for both the film’s release and his collaboration with John Carpenter.

Notable Quotes:

• Colbert [12:09]: "Mickey 17 is in theaters March 7, and the book The Art of Making Mickey 1717 is available March 11."
• Bong [12:39]: "Dinner time. It's where little moments are cherished."

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Key Takeaways:

• Multifaceted Storytelling: Mickey 17 exemplifies Bong Joon Ho’s ability to weave complex narratives across various genres, blending sci-fi with political satire and romance.

• Philosophical Depth: The film delves into profound questions about humanity, echoing themes from classics like The Thing.

• Creative Collaboration: Bong’s approach to filmmaking balances detailed pre-production planning with the organic creativity actors bring to their roles.

For Listeners: Don’t miss the chance to watch Mickey 17 in theaters starting March 7, 2025, and explore the behind-the-scenes artistry in the companion book available on March 11.

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Additional Information: Listeners can enjoy exclusive discounts on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert merchandise using the code "TLS20" at ParamountShop.com. To catch more of Stephen Colbert’s content, visit The Late Show YouTube channel for additional clips and exclusives.

Transcript

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[Stephen Colbert]

Hey everybody. Welcome back ladies and gentlemen. My next guest is a three time Academy Award winning director and whose films include Parasite, Snowpiercer and Memories of Murder. His latest film is Mickey 17. What's up with you and Kai bro? Wow, she. What are you supposed to do now? She's gonna go straight to Marsha and report us, isn't she? You need to relax. Nasha's handling it. She can convince anybody of anything. Oh my God. Besides, this moron is busy with his clown.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Show your eyes ye who wander in the dust and lay them on this beautiful, manly, handsome honking this such an attention whore with charisma.

[Stephen Colbert]

Please welcome to The Late Show. Bong Joon Ho. Good to have you here. I don't speak any Korean. And your English is pretty good. But just in case, we have Sharon Choi, a translator, here for you tonight in case people were wondering who this lovely young lady was. The latest film is Mickey 17, which is a great story. Twisted, satirical, really funny. It's based on the novel Mickey 7. Why did you add 10 more mickeys?

[Bong Joon Ho]

So the number indicates how many times he's had to die.

[Stephen Colbert]

So I kill him 10 more times. He does die a lot. We're not giving anything away. He dies a lot. But it's not serial killer movie. No.

[Bong Joon Ho]

So Robert Pattinson's job in the film is to die.

[Stephen Colbert]

Right. He's fine with it.

[Bong Joon Ho]

And he's constantly reprinted after each death.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Would you want to be reprinted after you die?

[Bong Joon Ho]

Of course.

[Stephen Colbert]

Really? It wouldn't bother you that you weren't the original? You.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Totally unnecessary to think about all that? I just want to live together with all the other. You can do the dishes, you can do the laundry.

[Stephen Colbert]

You don't want just to be reprinted. You want to be reprinted while you're still alive so you could have a bunch of views. Okay. Like you could have somebody else do this interview and I wouldn't know.

[Bong Joon Ho]

I'm actually Bong7.

[Stephen Colbert]

Bong Run is in South Korea. I understand. South Korea. I understand. Okay. It stars Robert Pattinson, who does a great performance in this. I like his. His vocal inflection particularly. You said that this film is based on my favorite film, my comfort film. The Thing. The Thing. And I've actually interviewed John Carpenter about it.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Really?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah. Right here. Had fantastic time.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Right here.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. And what is it about this film that's inspired by. I know you got a contact tie.

[Bong Joon Ho]

I'm going to be meeting John Carpenter.

[Stephen Colbert]

Next month in la.

[Bong Joon Ho]

We're going to have a Q and A together.

[Stephen Colbert]

Oh, it's fantastic.

[Bong Joon Ho]

So I'll be excited. I'm excited for that. Not as much as I'm excited for tonight with you.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well done. What is it? Excuse me? What is it about the thing that influenced this?

[Bong Joon Ho]

So to be a bit more serious, I think it's a story about the human condition and asking what it means to be human. Because you have the humans and then the creature, and you get to compare.

[Stephen Colbert]

These two groups and then the Thing. You don't know at the end if one of the two Childs or Mac are the Thing. Do you have an opinion? Is Childs the Thing?

[Bong Joon Ho]

Thinks Kurt Russell is a thing.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Kurt Russell's opinion.

[Bong Joon Ho]

I'm going to ask John that when I get to meet him.

[Stephen Colbert]

Wow. Yes. I asked him if there is an answer. I didn't want to know the answer. I asked him if there is a definitive answer that you can see if you watch the movie and he said yes.

[Bong Joon Ho]

So in our film we also have creatures too.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes. Oh, I love this creature. Here's a little plush version of the creature. Yeah. And tell the people what these are. They're creepers.

[Bong Joon Ho]

So this is a baby creeper. So this is the plushie version, but we have the real one on the film. A very important character in the film.

[Stephen Colbert]

And name is Joko. What?

[Bong Joon Ho]

Zoko.

[Stephen Colbert]

Zoko is the name of this.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Yeah, the name of Zoko.

[Stephen Colbert]

Do I have to give this back?

[Bong Joon Ho]

Hashito Leather. Yes.

[Stephen Colbert]

We have to take a quick break.

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[Stephen Colbert]

Back with the director of the new film, Mickey 17 Bong Joon Ho. Mark Ruffalo. Mark Ruffalo plays sort of a lout, a cartoonish, a political leader whose fans wear red hats. Are you thinking of anyone? He's very lovely dictator in the movie. Oh yes he is.

[Bong Joon Ho]

And he has his own talk show like you.

[Stephen Colbert]

So he must be very important if he has a talk show.

[Bong Joon Ho]

It's very important. So we've been screening this film in different countries. We were able to show it in Europe and I feel like for every country they project their political bad political leader onto Mark Ruffalo because as we know, each country is going through some quite, quite political situations.

[Stephen Colbert]

Now maybe it's a boom time for bad political. It's a sci fi comedy and romance. That's a lot of different genres. You've done a lot of different genres. Would you want to do a musical? Jesus Christ Superstar. Jesus Christ Superstar.

[Bong Joon Ho]

So I have a lot of respect for musicals. I particularly like Jesus Christ Superstar. I love all that jazz, but I can never make a musical. I can't stand the minute they start to sing.

[Stephen Colbert]

That would make it hard. Hard.

[Bong Joon Ho]

Because you see the characters just talking like normal conversation, and suddenly tonight, I cannot. I cannot handle it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Why? You killed all the cringe. That was beautiful. What's your collect?

[Bong Joon Ho]

I can't make a musical now.

[Stephen Colbert]

You storyboard. You storyboard every. Let me get this. The book is available. Hold it for us. It's available. The movie's available as a beautiful companion book right here. It's just gorgeous. And it includes some of the storyboards in there. And you storyboard every frame once you're done with the storyboarding. Like, Hitchcock storyboarded everything, and he said once he was done with the storyboard, everything else was not as fun for him because you had to deal with actors and you had to deal with lighting and sets, and. And the rain might come. Do you actually like making the film, or is this the fun?

[Bong Joon Ho]

Of course, storyboarding is fun, but I always enjoy working with actors. It's a bit of a paradox because I get quite obsessed with making sure the storyboards are perfect and the finished film has to be exactly the same. But with actors, I always tell them, improvise.

[Stephen Colbert]

Please improvise. Oh, so you're getting the shots, and they have freedom internally.

[Bong Joon Ho]

It's a bit of a paradox, but that's the process that I enjoy.

[Stephen Colbert]

Well, thank you so much for being here. It's such a pleasure. Mickey 17 is in theaters March 7, and the book The Art of Making Mickey 1717 is available March 11. Bong Joon Ho, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show POD show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.

[Bong Joon Ho]

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