Mickey 17 is the next highly anticipated movie from South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and we are dying to know more. Following 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 lots of heart. Here’s everything we know about Mickey 17 so far.
The movie is an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7 (not 17), which explores “themes of identity and immortality.” It garnered tons of praise upon release and a big-screen adaptation was announced soon after. The mix of the high concept at the center of the story, the setting, and the clever humor understandably made it a perfect fit for Bong Joon-ho. He’s made a name for himself as one of today’s most apt filmmakers working to tackle heavy-hitting drama and absurdist situations at the same time.
Before we dive deeper into everything we know about Mickey 17, we have plenty of book-to-screen adaptations covering 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. It was, however, taken off Warner Bros. Discovery’s theatrical schedule earlier this year, with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire moving up to take over its slot.
So, why did Warner sacrifice such an attractive spring release? The explanation is quite actually simple: 2023’s SAG-AFTRA strike had a major impact on a number of productions, including some that had already wrapped their principal photography. In the case of Mickey 17, which was shot in 2022, this affected its reshoots and therefore delayed the extensive post-production process too. On top of that, Warner Bros. Discovery believes Bong Joon-ho’s next movie may be another big win with huge awards potential, making a winter 2025 release logical.
As it stands (we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s brought forward a bit), Mickey 17 will be released in the United States on January 31, 2025. Of course, it’s coming exclusively to theaters.
What is the plot of Mickey 17?
Edward Ashton’s novel follows Mickey Barnes, a disposable employee part of a human expedition that aims to colonize the ice world of Niflheim. If there’s a mission that feels too dangerous, the crew uses Mickey. If he dies, a new body is ‘born’ with most of his memories intact. Yup, the basic premise sounds a bit like the extremely underrated space movie Moon by Duncan Jones.
Without getting into deeper spoilers, things get a bit more complex when Mickey7 is presumed dead and Mickey8 is generated; two “expendables” co-existing is a dangerous thing. Meanwhile, the colonization of Niflheim is going poorly, with the odd native species living there growing more and more curious. Soon, the story becomes more than just about the survival of Mickey7 and 8.
While the first trailer for the adaptation is meaty, most of the actual plot is being kept under wraps, although we can see that, at some point the Mickeys band together against the system. The synopsis that was released a while back teased a pretty faithful take on the novel, but you will have likely noticed the movie is titled Mickey 17. Why is that? Well, Bong Joon-ho’s answer at CinemaCon 2024 was quick and to the point: “The number is the number of times he died. I killed him ten times more.”
Mickey 17 Trailers
Warner Bros. released the first public Mickey 17 trailer on September 18, 2024, and it’s a riot. You can watch it below:
Mickey 17 Cast
Bong Joon-ho has worked with an all-star cast on Mickey 17. Alongside Robert Pattinson, the movie includes 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), among others.
Mickey 17 Director, writer, and crew
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Okja) directed the movie from an adapted screenplay of Mickey7 written by the author, Edward Ashton, himself. Cinematographer Darius Khondji (Midnight in Paris, Uncut Gems) teamed up with the filmmaker following their collaboration on Okja (2017).
Yang Jin-mo, another regular collaborator, has returned to edit the movie following his Oscar nomination for Parasite. Likewise, music composer Jung Jae-il is also coming back after working with the filmmaker on Okja and Parasite.