South Korean cinema-goers will have the exclusive opportunity to experience the highly anticipated sci-fi film 'Mickey 17' directed by Bong Joon-ho three days ahead of its global release. Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that the film, starring Robert Pattinson, will premiere in Korea on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, coinciding with the Lunar New Year holidays, before its worldwide debut on Jan. 31.
The release date for 'Mickey 17' was initially set for March 2024 but was postponed by nine months to ensure the completion of the film. The production faced delays due to the writers' and actors' strikes in Hollywood in 2023. This marks Bong Joon-ho's return to directing following the success of 'Parasite,' which made history by winning the Best Picture at the Oscars as the first non-English language film to do so.
Bong serves as the writer, director, and producer of 'Mickey 17' through his company Offscreen, alongside producers Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner of Plan B, and Dooho Choi of Kate Street Pictures. The film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton's novel from 2022, described as a high-concept cerebral thriller akin to 'The Martian' and 'Dark Matter.'
In 'Mickey 17,' Robert Pattinson portrays an 'expendable,' a disposable worker on a mission to colonize an ice planet, who rebels against being replaced by his clone. The star-studded cast includes Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group's president of international distribution, Andrew Cripps, expressed excitement about the film, praising Bong's creativity, vision, and imagination. He highlighted the film's original storyline, characters, unpredictable plot twists, humor, and high production values. Cripps emphasized that Korea, Bong's homeland, was chosen as the premiere location due to its significance to the director and the studio's eagerness to share 'Mickey 17' with audiences worldwide.
