Weeks after Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho‘s Parasite took home the Best Picture Award at this year’s Oscars, the acclaimed social satire is making the leap from the screen to the page. Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards will utilize director Bong’s storyboards for the film, along with the dialogue from the film’s script, to retell the story as it was originally envisioned before it was ever shot.
The book, which has previously been released internationally, is being brought to English-speaking audiences by Grand Central Publishing. Here’s how the publisher describes the release, which will feature an introduction by Bong, as well as new behind-the-scenes material and concept art from the making of the film:
So metaphorical: the Palme d’Or and Golden Globe Award-winning, Oscar Award-winning film as a graphic novel drawn by Director Bong Joon Ho himself. In hundreds of mesmerizing illustrations, Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of one of the best films in years and a brand-new way to experience a global phenomenon. As part of his process, Director Bong Joon Ho storyboarded each shot of Parasite prior to filming scene. Accompanied by the film’s dialog, the storyboards he drew capture the story in its entirety. Director Bong has also written a foreword and provided early concept drawings and photos from the set which take the reader even deeper into the vision that gave rise to this stunning cinematic achievement.
Bong Joon-Ho famously storyboards all of his films, which, according to Cartoon Brew, stems from Bong’s early days as an illustrator. A video compiled by YouTuber Vashi Nedomansky and posted a few weeks ago features a side-by-side comparison of some of Bong’s storyboards from Parasite and the corresponding shots in the film:
The 224-page Parasite: A Graphic Novel in Storyboards is available for preorder now, and scheduled to be in comic shops on May 20th, 2020.
