Robert Pattinson emerges from a blue-lit machine cylinder in 'Mickey 17'.

Robert Pattinson Lives, Dies, Repeats in Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’

Audiences at CinemaCon got their first glimpse of Bong Joon Ho’s long-awaited follow-up to Parasite. Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, an expendable space colonist tasked with the most dangerous missions on a faraway planet.

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When Mickey dies (as he often does) he is re-printed, retaining most of his memories. The science fiction comedy is based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton, only Bong Joon Ho upped the number of deaths. “The number is the number of times he dies. I killed him ten times more,” Bong told the CinemaCon crowd. “It’s a sci-fi movie, but it’s a human story.”

Is there a trailer?

So far there’s only a teaser, but CinemaCon was treated to a longer trailer, which features Pattinson getting injured and killed in a variety of creative ways while Frank Sinatra plays in the background.

Who stars in the film?

Joining the Pattinson human reprint are Naomi Mackie (Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker), Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Daniel Henshall (Okja), and Steven Yeun.

What is Mickey 17 about?

As previously mentioned, Pattinson’s Mickey is the mission’s crash test dummy, repeatedly dying and being reprinted by the colonization mission. But when Micky 17 returns after his assumed death, he must face off against Mickey 18.

Pattinson told the crowd, “Mickey 17 is someone who has the lowest expectations of his life, and yet the world keeps pushing those expectations, to the point where he has a job that tortures him every day, … And then 18 comes along, and he’s got frontal lobe damage and no self-control, libido out of control. It’s like playing an evil brother or twin.” The actor added,

“I’ve been the biggest fan of Bong for many, many years; he’s my hero, … I got sent the script; I was told, ‘You’re gonna love the script, but the part is impossible.’ That was very, very exciting to me. I thought it was the most unusual, bizarre, funny script.”

Okay, when can I watch it?

Mickey 17 hits theaters on January 31, 2025.

(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)


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Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.