Tilda Swinton exits ‘Parasite’ TV series: “But I’m very happy to be a cheerleader”
Tilda Swinton has exited Adam McKay’s television adaptation of Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite.
In a recent interview with Variety, the actress confirmed that she is no longer part of the HBO project.
“I don’t think I’ll be a part of it, but I’m very happy to be a cheerleader,” she said.
Swinton has been linked with the series since February 2020, where she was set to play the female lead opposite Mark Ruffalo. It’s currently unclear who will replace her.
Korean direct Bong Joon Ho, who helmed the film version of Parasite, has been working closely with Adam McKay to develop the series, which will consist of six, hour-long episodes.
Released in 2019, Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture, becoming the first ever foreign language film to do so. It also claimed Best International, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.
According to reports, the TV spin-off is not intended to be a remake of the film, but rather an original series that will explore unanswered questions from the movie.
In a 2021 interview on Josh Horowitz’s podcast “Happy Sad Confused”, McKay described the series as “an original story that lives in that same world.”
Bong has further revealed that the series will be set in the United States, saying: “Parasite is a film on wealthy and poor families, and that is a problem everywhere. [The television series] will be something of great genius, I hope. I worked with Adam McKay and he’s figuring out the scenario. We’re going to do it in the United States.
“The subject continues to have resonance in France and elsewhere,” Bong continued. “Many of [us] would like to be rich, but I think in all of us there is a fear of becoming poor. I’m involved in the HBO adaptation [of Parasite]. It will be a black comedy. I’m working in close cooperation with screenwriter McKay. This time I’m giving my input as a producer.”
Bong also previously confirmed that he has finished writing the script for one of two follow-ups to his Oscar-winning film, revealing that one will be in English and the other in Korean.
In a five-star review of Parasite, NME called the film “nothing short of a masterpiece” and wrote: “No matter how many times you watch it (and it’s a film that, as its title suggests, gets under your skin and makes you itch for another viewing), there are still so many more secrets hiding in the shadows.”
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Chris Edwards
NME
