Over the course of the previous two decades, Bong Joon-ho not only cemented his legacy as one of the best and most inventive directors to come out of Korea (which is saying a lot), but he also created a legacy that could end up putting him in the conversation of the best filmmakers of our generation. From gritty crime dramas like Memories of Murder to his Best Picture winner, Parasite, the visionary artist has made a case for himself time and time again. Now, more than four years after his most recent release, Bong is back with a new mind-bending story: Mickey 17.
If this is the first you’re hearing about the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of a mysterious sci-fi thriller, don’t worry, because we’re about to break down everything we know about its cast to so much more.
What Is The Mickey 17 Release Date?
Mickey 17 was originally slated to open in theaters on March 29th, but Warner Bros. has since taken the film off the 2024 movie schedule, and instead pushed it all the way back to January 31, 2025. According to Variety, the move was made to allow the movie to open in IMAX early next year, which is a nice little consolation prize.
Robert Pattinson Leads The Mickey 17 Cast
Robert Pattinson, who will lead Matt Reeves’ The Batman: Part II at some point in the future, will first be the anchor of Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 cast, Warner Bros. announced. The versatile actor with several roles proving he’s more than Twilight will take on the part of Mickey, a mysterious figure at the center of the sci-fi thriller’s intricate plot. Pattinson will also be joined by quite the cast of supporting actors as well.
Though their specific roles have yet to be disclosed, the upcoming movie will feature some of the most interesting actors in show business right now, including Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Nope), Naomi Ackie (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker), Toni Collette (Hereditary, The Sixth Sense), and Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers, Spotlight). Bong, who has gotten tremendous performances out of countless actors in the past, will have a dynamic group to play with in Mickey 17.
The Mysterious Mickey 17 First Look Video Teases A Futuristic Technology And Robert Pattinson’s Role
Though it will probably be some time before we get a full trailer, Warner Bros. did give the world a first look at Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming movie in December 2022 when the studio released the first Mickey 17 teaser. This is definitely one of those situations where we’re left with more questions than answers, but this 30-second video sure does ramp up the anticipation:
The clip of Pattinson’s character asleep in some kind of chamber as the camera spins around while a beautiful yet chaotic violin arrangement plays in the background is nothing short of masterful, and it could very well be full of all kinds of hints. What’s the significance of “18” at the end of the clip? Why does Pattinson wake up at the end? Who (or what) is he? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Mickey 17 Is Based On Edward Ashton's Book Mickey7, About A Space Colonist Who Refuses To Let His Clone Take His Place
Though it has yet to be revealed how closely the movie will follow the book, Mickey 17 is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 sci-fi novel, Mickey7. According to book’s publishing company, Macmillan Publishers, the thriller follows a character named Mickey7, an “expendable” who refuses to let his replacement clone take over when realizing he has already been replaced, after his colony on the ice world of Niflheim reported him missing and presumed dead.
If keeping his double a secret from everyone else isn’t hard enough, Mickey7 also has to deal with the increasingly curious native life on the frozen planet, which further complicates everything.
Assuming Mickey 17 will keep this basic premise, we’re in for some great interactions between the two versions of Robert Pattinson’s character, as well as some wonderful scenes of his previous iterations meeting a dark fate in the months and years preceding the movie’s events. However, when speaking at the San Sebastian Film Festival’s Creative Investor Conference in September 2023 (via Deadline), Plan B Entertainment Co-president Jeremy Kleiner alluded to director Bong Joon-ho adding his unique vision to the project:
Those of you who know the book will know it has some genre elements, but it’s very director Bong. It’s an example of repeat business with a director that we admire… but doing it in kind of a new setting.
The nature of those changes Bong (who worked with Plan B on Okja) made to the source material is something we’ll have to find out when the movie opens in theaters.
Mickey 17 Was In Post-Production In Fall 2023
During Kleiner’s San Sebastian Film Festival appearance, the Plan B co-president also said the company was in the middle of post-production work but didn’t elaborate on how much still needed to be completed before it was ready for its 2024 debut.
Production on Mickey 17 took place between August and December 2022 at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England, according to ScreenDaily, meaning that unless there are any reshoots in the near future, we’re just waiting for the post-production and editing work to be completed before its release.
This Is The First Bong Joon-ho Movie Since His Historic Oscar Win For Parasite
Bong Joon-ho was on top of the world in early 2020 when his most recent film, Parasite, took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, an unprecedented moment in the filmmaker’s career. Though there have been talks of future plans since the ceremony, including a Parasite TV show, he hasn’t come out with anything since. Well, that will change in March 2024 with the highly anticipated release of Mickey 17.
If you look at Bong’s filmography, you’ll see breaks of three or more years between most of his movies, with a period of four years between Mother and Snowpiercer and then another four years before the release of Okja.
Robert Pattinson Has Said Mickey 17 Is Unlike Anything He’s Done Before
If you look at Robert Pattinson’s best movies, you’ll see a lot of performances that appear to have tested the actor physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is especially true for the A24 horror movie, The Lighthouse, and his dark sci-fi flick, High Life. However, during an interview with the Evening Standard Magazine, the actor revealed that Mickey 17 was unlike anything he’s ever done before, saying:
It’s with Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before. The movie is so crazy, it’s a completely different style of working. … It’s so much talking.
It will certainly be interesting to see more of Pattinson’s performance, especially if there are multiple versions of his character interacting with one another.
Expect to hear more about Mickey 17 in the coming months as we creep closer to its early 2025 release, at which point we’ll need to make some changes to our list of every Bong Joon-ho movie, ranked.
