Ever since Bong Joon-Ho dazzled us all with the 2020 Best Picture winner Parasite, movie fans have been giddy to see what the director is up to next. The South Korean filmmaker is currently assembling a cast for his next movie starring Robert Pattinson. In an exciting update regarding the untitled science fiction project, a Walking Dead fan-favorite has joined the cast.
Steven Yeun has reportedly signed on for Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite follow-up alongside Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Naomi Ackie, per Variety. Yeun memorably played Glenn in The Walking Dead from 2010 to 2016, but the South Korean-born actor has also starred in numerous movies lately – including the critically-acclaimed 2020 film Minari and Jordan Peele’s upcoming horror movie Nope. Yeun previously worked with Bong before on 2017’s Okja.
While the upcoming movie has yet to receive a title, it is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, Mickey7. The novel follows an expendable, disposable employee on a human expedition to colonize an ice world called Niflheim. “Mickey7” is the name of the sixth cloned iteration of Mickey, who has died and been regenerated as a clone with his memories intact. When Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead on a scouting mission, Mickey8 is created, but he refuses to let his clone take his place.
Robert Pattinson has been tapped to play Mickey7 since early this year, and The Batman actor was apparently Bong Joon-Ho’s first choice. The book has been described as The Martian meets Dark Matter, and it will be the filmmaker’s first movie set in space, though he is well known for making thoughtful science fiction films in the past (with his resume including films such as the previously mentioned Okja and Snowpiercer).
After Steven Yeun wrapped six years on The Walking Dead and it became his breakout role, the actor has shared before that he purposefully turned down parts that came to him that felt too much like his zombie-killing character. One of the projects he did take on just following leaving the AMC horror series was Bong Joon-Ho's Okja.
The Netflix movie helped Yeun pave a path to more great work in movies, mostly of the indie nature such as Sorry To Bother You, South Korean drama Burning, and Minari. He followed a similar path to his new co-star Robert Pattinson, who was for many years making arthouse films following his work on Twilight. That changed more recently when Pattinson starred in The Batman.
With Steven Yeun part of his latest project, Bong Joon-Ho continues to score some solid talent for his next movie. The filmmaker is also developing an HBO series based on Parasite alongside Adam McKay. While we wait for the Mickey7 adaptation, stream these movies you’ll like if Parasite was a favorite.
