Tilda Swinton Is No Longer Attached To Adam McKay's Parasite Series
Depending on your point of view, you are either going to love or hate this news. It's been a while since we have heard anything about the "Parasite" television adaptation being cooked up at HBO, but there was speculation over who was going to be attached. However, it looks like one of those potential stars won't be a part of it after all, and that star is Tilda Swinton.
The actress, who recently attended a screening of her upcoming film "The Eternal Daughter," was asked by Variety about the show, which she allegedly signed on for in February 2020. However, it sounds like she can no longer fit the still-gestating series into her schedule, and that is if she was even attached to begin with, as her involvement was never officially confirmed.
"I don't think I'll be a part of it," she told Variety, "but I'm very happy to be a cheerleader."
Money is an iron
Sure, a "Parasite" series isn't the most necessary thing in the world, as the Oscar-winning original by Bong Joon-ho is, by all accounts, a modern masterpiece. Not only that, but McKay is extremely divisive as a director — after all, he's about as subtle with his social commentary as a sledgehammer.
At the same time, though, this had the potential to be a very interesting project for Swinton. It would have marked the third collaboration between her and Bong, having worked together in 2013's "Snowpiercer" and 2017's "Okja." Even if he didn't direct her in an episode, any type of creative partnership between them would be exciting, and her absence in Bong's upcoming "Mickey7" will definitely be felt.
There's also the fact that the "Parasite" series might not exactly be what many might expect. Bong has gone on record that the series wouldn't be an Americanized take on the original, instead focusing on stories set within the film's timeline.
"There were so many stories that I thought of that could happen in between the sequences you see in the film, and some background stories for each character," he said. "So with the TV series for 'Parasite,' I think we'll be able to create a high-quality, expanded film."
Will this series actually end up getting made, especially now that this high-profile star has left? Who knows, but what we do know is that "Parasite" is currently streaming on Hulu.