Bong Joon-Ho made cinematic history with Parasite, the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. But that was back in 2019, and he hasn’t made anything since... until now. Mickey 17, a film adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 epic sci-fi novel Mickey7, has been in the works for years, but circumstances have kept it off the release schedule.
Finally, however, Mickey 17 is on track for release, and we now have our first glimpse of Bong’s new sci-fi world two years after filming wrapped. Check out the first trailer below, but brace yourself if you love Robert Pattinson.
Mickey 17 follows the title character (Robert Pattinson), a disposable employee who can be replaced with a clone body that retains most of his memories whenever he dies on the job. He’s part of a dangerous effort to colonize an icy planet called Niflheim, but everything changes when two Mickeys are accidentally activated at once. “In the case of Multiples,” Mark Ruffalo’s character says, “we exterminate every individual.”
The trailer has lots to like, including Pattinson doing a freaky voice à la The Boy and the Heron, Toni Collette giggling, and plenty of comedic gore as Mickey repeatedly bites it. The idea of expendable clones is an old one in science fiction; the premise may remind you of Moon, and it can also be seen in multiple episodes of Doctor Who and Star Trek. But the world of Mickey 17 feels new and fresh, and with Bong Joon-Ho’s signature blend of the thrilling and the comedic, it could be another award-season contender.
The film began development before the novel was even published, and wrapped production by December 2023 while eyeing a March 29, 2024 release date. But in January, Mickey 17 was taken off Warner Bros.’ release schedule due to the actors’ strike which, among other hiccups, prevented Pattinson from promoting the film. Its fate was unknown for a month until Warner announced a revised release date of January 31, 2025.
That’s three years after work on the movie began, and six since Bong Joon-Ho’s last film. But another sci-fi from the director behind Snowpiercer and The Host should be well worth the wait, especially if it’s as kooky as the trailer implies.
