Following Mark Ruffalo... Tilda Swinton Considered for Lead Role in US Drama 'Gisaengchung'

Actor Tilda Swinton / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] British actress Tilda Swinton, who appeared in director Bong Joon-ho's films Snowpiercer and Okja, has been considered as the lead for the drama version of Parasite.

On the 14th (Korean time), the U.S. media outlet The Illuminerdi reported that Tilda Swinton is being considered as the female lead for the Parasite drama version produced by HBO.

Previously, the outlet also reported that actor Mark Ruffalo, who played the Hulk in the Hollywood blockbuster Avengers, had received a casting offer for the drama.

The media stated that Tilda Swinton is likely to be offered the role of Chung-sook, originally played by Jang Hye-jin in Parasite, while Mark Ruffalo would be offered the role of Ki-taek, played by Song Kang-ho. Following Hollywood conventions of casting major roles first, it is predicted that Mark Ruffalo and Tilda Swinton would be offered the roles originally portrayed by Song Kang-ho and Jang Hye-jin, respectively.

Tilda Swinton and director Bong previously collaborated on the films Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017), and are known to have maintained a friendship since then.

The Parasite drama version, to be produced by HBO, will be co-executive produced by director Adam McKay, known for The Big Short and Vice, alongside Bong Joon-ho. The drama is expected to have a total runtime of six hours, divided into five to six episodes.

After the Academy Awards, Mark Ruffalo mentioned the Parasite drama casting rumors in an interview with U.S. entertainment media TMZ. He said, "Parasite is a great film, and if I were to be cast in any role, it would be a tremendous honor."

When asked if he was optimistic about the role, he replied, "You never know until it’s confirmed," but added, "It would be great to be part of the Parasite drama."

Earlier, director Bong spoke about the production of the Parasite "mid" version, saying, "When I wrote Parasite, I had many ideas that were difficult to fit into the two-hour runtime. If the runtime could have been longer, I know I could have told more stories. I plan to discuss this soon with Adam McKay."

Bong added, "Although I am not very familiar with the TV industry, I believe this limited series will be an expanded film that reaches deeper into stories that Parasite could not show."