A 21st-Century Monster Masterpiece Will Return to Theaters in Glorious 4K

Published Oct 1, 2026, 1:12 PM EDT Elijah is a freelance news writer at Polygon. He was an associate editor at The A.V. Club and Paste, and has been featured in outlets like Game Informer, Fanbyte, Unwinnable, and more. He loves media in all forms, from fighting games and horror flicks to slow cinema and visual novels. He's from the Greater Boston area. Before Parasite, Bong Joon Ho directed an iconic monster movie with The Host Image: Magnolia Pictures Sign in to your Polygon.com account One of the best films from acclaimed director Bong Joon Ho is returning to the big screen. The Host is getting a 4K remaster that's coming to theaters on Nov. 20, 2026. Magnolia Pictures is handling the re-release of this excellent 2006 sci-fi movie, and this new theatrical run will include an exclusive conversation with Bong. What is The Host about? The Host follows Gang-du (Song Kang-ho), a food stand worker who witnesses a massacre as a giant amphibian monster emerges from the Han River and attacks several bystanders, including his daughter. As the victims lie shell-shocked, the government announces that the monster is the host of an unidentified virus and quarantines the area. Then comes an unexpected twist. Gang-du inexplicably receives a call from his daughter, whom he thought was dead. The man resolves to find the monster and rescue his child while evading the government quarantine. The Host was Bong's third feature-length film, following 2000’s Barking Dogs Never Bite and 2003’s Memories of Murder. This monster movie provided one of the highest-grossing South Korean pictures ever, making close to $100 million on an 11 billion won (roughly $11 million) budget while helping kickstart global viewership for Bong’s films. The movie received widespread critical praise for its mix of satire, humor, and monster-movie thrills. The Host is also known for its biting critique of American imperialism and for working as a 20th-century Godzilla equivalent. Since The Host, Bong has directed several more critically acclaimed films with hefty themes, including Mother, Snowpiercer, and Okja. His 2019 movie Parasite became the first non-English-language picture to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, thanks to its biting class commentary and inspired direction. What is Bong Joon Ho working on next? Given that most of Bong Joon Ho’s films earn their R-ratings, the premise of his next work, Ally, comes as a bit of a surprise: it’s a family-friendly animated movie with an adorable mascot. The story centers on a piglet squid named Ally, who sets off on an adventure to see the sun. It stars Alex Jayne Go, Ayo Edebiri, Bradley Cooper, and Dave Bautista, and is currently expected to be released in 2027. While a family-oriented animated film is very much unfamiliar territory for Bong, the director has more than earned the benefit of the doubt.