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EXCLUSIVE: Following its six Oscar nominations, Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite is bolstering its presence in theaters in the U.S. — but it’s going to look a little different. Neon is teaming with the Film at Lincoln Center in New York and the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles to release the highly anticipated black and white version of the film which will debut in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater January 31 and at the Walter Reade Theater in New York on January 30. It will then screen at the Francesca Beale Theater January 31 through February 6.
This special presentation of Parasite will debut at the International Film Festival Rotterdam at the end of January before heading stateside. Having been inspired by F.W Murnau’s 1922 silent horror movie, Nosferatu and others, it has been a life-long dream for Bong to create a film in the black & white format. The black and white version of Parasite was created prior to the film’s premiere in Cannes, where it won the Palme d’Or, will now audiences will now see the dark comedy in all its peachy glory.
“I’m extremely happy to present Parasite in black and white and have it play on the big screen,” said Bong. “It will be fascinating to see how the viewing experience changes when an identical film is presented in black and white. I watched the black and white version twice now, and at times the film felt more like a fable and gave me the strange sense that I was watching a story from old times.”
He added, “The second time I watched it, the film felt more realistic and sharp as if I was being cut by a blade. It also further highlighted the actors’ performances and seemed to revolve more around the characters. I had many fleeting impressions of this new version, but I do not wish to define them before it is presented. I hope everyone in the audience can compare their own experiences from the color version and find their own path to Parasite in black and white.”
Parasite has been a celebrated film by audiences and critics alike and has been a box office success, amassing $148 million worldwide and $28.5 million domestically. It recently made history at the SAG Awards becoming the first foreign language film to ever win Outstanding Performance by a Cast. Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, it became the first Korean film and the first Korean director to be nominated for an Oscar. It also won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and was also nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay.