The Cannes Film Festival 2021 lineup obsession continues. We first read about After Yang when Colin Farrell was confirmed to star in the lead role in the Korean-born filmmaker Kogonada's self-scripted sci-fi film, and last week it premiered at Festival De Cannes along with The French Dispatch, Annette, and more.

Based on the Alexander Weinstein short story Saying Goodbye to Yang, After Yang follows a father and daughter as they attempt to save the life of their robotic family member, Yang, in a dystopian sci-fi future where robotic children are purchased as live-in-babysitters. Yang has been programmed to help his little sister learn about her cultural heritage, and without him, it is up to the family to navigate life on their own. Farrell's character, Jake, is seen attempting to heal his familial relationships after the robot breaks down.

“I didn’t imagine that my next film would be in the sci-fi genre,” Kogonada told Deadline. “That wasn’t something that was on my mind. When I watch blockbuster sci-fi movies where the whole world is at stake, I’m often curious about the people in the background who have to make a living—what are they doing within that landscape? What are their families like?”

“A lot of times when a story deals with this kind of subject matter, it’s about an AI wanting to be human,” He went on to say. “But in this case, it’s about a human trying to make sense of the loss and value of a non-human being.”

Jodie Turner-Smith of Queen & Slim will co-star in this dystopian drama that looks at the way technology causes undetected rifts in human connection. Theresa Park and her Per Capita Productions have lead production with Cinereach. Park and Cinereach bought the rights to the short story last year and attached Kogonada to adapt it.

A release date outside of Cannes hasn't been set for After Yang yet, nor has a trailer been released, but we'll keep you updated as more information comes.