Bong Joon Ho is back with another possible hit. The maker of an Academy Award-winning film, The Parasite, is now directing a novel adaptation, Mickey 17.
The film is based on a sci-fi novel Mickey 7 which was authored by Edward Ashton. While the novel is a light-hearted sci-fi story, the film would show Ho’s touches to it.
A new trailer has just been released, showing another version of Robert Pattinson, sticking to its comedic tone as well. It is still hard to speculate whether Joon Ho’s dark version of the story would overshadow its comedic feel or it would be more of a surprise as the studio is selling through the trailer.
Robert Pattinson will be seen as Mickey Barnes, an expendable employee who signs himself up for a peculiar job; he has to die again and again. On a far-away planet, he will be seen deployed on a risky testing program where he finds himself in a continuous assembly line of clones.
After he realises that he is doing more than what he signed up for, he decides to fight back. Here is when we are up for a face-off with his own self. It would be an amusing as well as chaotic situation where the same person would encounter his lookalike, Mickey 18.
Watch the trailer below:
The star cast and director’s thoughts
Other cast members include the Academy Award nominees Toni Collette (Hereditary) and Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things). Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX) and Steven Yeun (Nope) are part of the cast too.
As per Screen Daily, Bong confirmed that the film was initially planned to release in March 2024 but Warner Bros shifted the date. He joked that none of his movies had been on time.
He even explained the reason for Mickey 17’s delay, which was majorly due to US film industry strikes. He was of the view that this practice has somehow “led to more coverage” and produced more interest from the audience’s side.
However, he was happy that the film would release in Korea first, in February, and then worldwide in March. He also opened up about Robert Pattinson being his first choice for the role. While talking to Screen Daily, he said that he had seen Pattinson in The Lighthouse and Good Time, and knew he would be able to bring the pitifully stupid Mickey’s touch but stay charismatic enough for Mickey 18.
The yearly film festival, Berlin International Film Festival or Bernale, would host the German premiere of the film.
Mickey 17 will hit theatres on March 7, 2025.