Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ starring Robert Pattinson faces new delay
The release of Bong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated new movie, Mickey 17, has been delayed yet again, and will now hit theatres on April 18th. The film was initially scheduled for January 25th, but the push back has allowed viewers to go watch the sci-fi movie in IMAX.
The movie stars Robert Pattison as the titular character, a man who becomes expendable, with various versions of himself emerging as he attempts to colonise the ice planet Niflheim. With each failed attempt, a new copy of him regenerates.
Mickey 17, based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7, was initially set for release in early 2024, but it has now received various delays. Part of the original reason was down to the Hollywood strikes, but now this new release window should help secure more ticket sales and give viewers the coveted IMAX experience.
A spokesperson for the film explained (via Variety), “When the April 18 date became available, we quickly moved to secure it for Mickey 17. We’re thrilled with the new date, and very happy the film will be available to audiences in IMAX.”
The film is Bong’s first English-language production since 2017’s Okja and his first film since his critically acclaimed movie Parasite, which won countless accolades, including four Academy Awards. It helped to introduce the Korean director to a wider audience, thus making Mickey 17 an incredibly anticipated movie slated for 2025.
What do we know about Mickey 17 so far?
Talking to Empire, Bong previously discussed his intentions behind making the movie: “In most sci-fi films and fantasy stories, eternal life is treated as something sublime, spiritual, profound. I was really captivated by the idea that human printing is not respectful at all. You’re literally reproducing humans like an inkjet printer.”
He added, “Ultimately, the story is about how pathetic humans can be. It’s almost like you can smell every human character in the film — their piss stains and their smelly socks.”
Alongside Pattinson, the cast will also feature some big names like Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, and Naomi Ackie. The trailer for the movie was shared in September to much excitement, with the film proving to be a darkly comedic foray into sci-fi, a genre Bong has explored before.
Mickey 17 is one of several projects Pattinson will be appearing in soon. He will also be starring in the new Lynne Ramsay film, Die, My Love, and the Kristoffer Borgli-directed The Drama.
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