It was just over a month ago we got the enticing news that Kogonada would be following up his tender, formally striking drama Columbus (which finally just got a Blu-ray release) with After Yang, a sci-fi drama starring Colin Farrell and backed by A24. Now, ahead of a production that will kick off in early May, the rest of the ensemble has filled out.
Columbus star Haley Lu Richardson will be reteaming with Kogonada for the film, joined by Golshifteh Farahani (Paterson, About Elly), Justin Min (The Umbrella Academy and Nicolas Winding Refn’s forthcoming, potentially Cannes-bound Too Old to Die Young), and Sarita Choudhury (Mississippi Masala, Homeland), Collider reports.
An adaptation of the Alexander Weinstein sci-fi short story Saying Goodbye to Yang, the film will follow a father and daughter as they try to save the life of their robotic family member. Farahani will take the role of Farrell’s wife as they adopt both a Chinese girl and the robot Yang. Min will play Yang and Richardson will play another A.I. robot, who forms a relationship with Yang. Choudhury takes the role of a museum director who finds interest in this artificial intelligence.
We can’t imagine a more well-suited follow-up for Kogonada as he hopefully retains his level of intimacy on a slightly less strictly human scale. As production begins shortly, we can pencil this one in for a 2020 release. And to bring it full circle, watch a selection of video essays on video essayist-turned-director Kogonada’s debut feature.