Mickey 17 is the next highly anticipated film from South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, and we’re dying to know more. After the mainstream success of Parasite (2019), the first foreign language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, Bong Joon-ho returns to sci-fi with a film that promises big ideas and a lot of heart. Here’s everything we know about Mickey 17 so far.
The film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7 (not 17), which deals with “themes of identity and immortality.” It received a ton of praise upon its release, and a big-screen adaptation was announced soon after. The mix of the high concept at the heart of the story, the setting, and the clever humor understandably made it a perfect fit for Bong Joon-ho. He has made a name for himself as one of today’s most capable filmmakers, managing to tackle hard-hitting drama and absurd situations simultaneously.
Before we dive deeper into everything we know about Mickey 17, we have plenty of book adaptations to choose from, including the best sci-fi movies based on books and also the best sci-fi TV shows based on books that are worth your time.
Mickey 17 Release Date
Mickey 17 was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on March 29, 2024. However, the film was removed from Warner Bros. Discovery’s theatrical schedule earlier this year and replaced by Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
So why did Warner forego such an attractive spring release? The explanation is actually quite simple: the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023 had a significant impact on a number of productions, including some that had already completed principal photography. In the case of Mickey 17, which was filmed in 2022, this affected reshoots and therefore also delayed the extensive post-production process. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery believes that Bong Joon-ho’s next film could be another big hit with great prize potential, so a winter 2025 release is logical.
As it stands (we wouldn’t be surprised if it gets brought forward a little), Mickey 17 will be released in the US on January 31, 2025. Of course, the film will only be shown in cinemas.
What is the plot of Mickey 17?
Edward Ashton’s novel is about Mickey Barnes, an expendable member of a human expedition that wants to colonize the ice world of Niflheim. When a mission seems too dangerous, the crew deploys Mickey. When he dies, a new body is “born” in which most of his memories are intact. Yes, the basic idea sounds a bit like the extremely underrated space film Moon by Duncan Jones.
Without giving too much away, things get a little more complicated when Mickey7 is presumed dead and Mickey8 is created; two “expendables” living together is dangerous. Meanwhile, the colonization of Niflheim goes badly and the strange native species that live there become more and more curious. Soon the story becomes about more than just the survival of Mickey7 and 8.
While the first trailer for the adaptation is meaty, most of the actual plot is kept under wraps, although we can see the Mickeys banding together against the system at some point. The synopsis released a while back suggested a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel, but you’ll probably have noticed that the film is titled Mickey 17. Why is that? Well, Bong Joon-ho’s answer at CinemaCon 2024 was short and sweet: “The number is the number of his deaths. I killed him ten times more.”
Mickey 17 Trailer
Warner Bros. released the first public trailer for Mickey 17 on September 18, 2024, and it’s awesome. You can watch it below:
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Mickey 17 Cast
Bong Joon-ho worked with an all-star cast in “Mickey 17.” In addition to Robert Pattinson, the film also stars Steven Yeun (Nope) as Berto, Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) as Nasha Adjaya, Toni Collette (Hereditary) as Gwen Johansen, Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things) as Hieronymous Marshall, Steve Park (Asteroid City), Angus Imrie (Star Trek: Prodigy), Holliday Grainger (The Borgias) and Thomas Turgoose (The Gallows Pole).
Mickey 17 Director, Screenwriter and Crew
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Okja) directed the film from an adapted screenplay by Mickey7, written by author Edward Ashton himself. Cinematographer Darius Khondji (Midnight in Paris, Uncut Gems) reteamed with the filmmaker after their collaboration on Okja (2017).
Yang Jin-mo, another regular collaborator, has returned to edit the film following his Oscar nomination for Parasite. Music composer Jung Jae-il also returns after working with the filmmaker on Okja and Parasite.
