Bong Joon-ho Endorses Netflix’s First Korean Animation Starring Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung

Netflix is set to unveil its very first Korean animated feature film.

On April 29, Netflix announced that it will release Lost in Starlight (working title, Korean title: '이 별에 필요한') on May 30.

Set in a futuristic Seoul in 2050, the film follows the story of Nanyeong, who dreams of space exploration, and Jay, a former musician, as their fateful encounter blossoms into something deeper.

Actress Kim Tae-ri voices Nanyeong, while Hong Kyung voices Jay.

The film is directed by Han Ji-won, who previously won the Grand Prize at the Seoul Indie Animation Festival with Coffeewrack and was invited to prestigious festivals including the Sundance Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Director Bong Joon-ho also praised the work, describing it as: “A delicate visual masterpiece that embraces both the universe and everyday life.”

The teaser trailer begins with a sensuous original soundtrack, depicting the first meeting between Nanyeong and Jay. At a vintage audio shop where Nanyeong brings her late mother’s turntable for repairs, she crosses paths with Jay — and the two slowly start to weave into each other's lives. The teaser showcases Director Han’s unique artistic style and world-building.

Iconic Seoul landmarks like Sewoon Shopping Center and Jamsu Bridge are beautifully reimagined, presenting a familiar yet fantastical vision of the near future. Adding to the atmosphere, analog elements like turntables and LPs enrich the visual aesthetic, blending retro and cyberpunk styles into a striking mix.

A key tagline in the teaser reads: "In 2050, between Mars and Earth, a desperate cheer." The clip hints at a storyline where Nanyeong departs for Mars, leaving Jay longing for her, intensifying curiosity about the journey between the two.

The teaser poster captures a romantic moment under a dreamy pink-hued sky, with the heartfelt caption: "Don’t forget — somewhere out in the universe, there’s always someone cheering you on." signaling an emotional narrative about dreams and love.

Uniquely, the film was produced using a nontraditional animation method. The voices of the two actors were recorded first to deeply convey the characters’ emotions and situations. To bring Nanyeong and Jay even closer to life, live-action filming sessions based on the actors’ real movements and expressions were also incorporated into the animation process.

Speaking at the Busan International Film Festival last year, Director Han Ji-won explained: "I wanted to find ways to capture inspiration not just from the voices, but also from the actors’ real-life movements and acting."

He added that critical emotional scenes were acted out by Kim Tae-ri and Hong Kyung themselves.

Lost in Starlight will be available globally on Netflix starting May 30.

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