After making history with Parasite, director Bong Joon Ho has teamed up with current reigning Batman Robert Pattinson for his next film, Mickey 17. The pitch-black sci-fi comedy, based on the 2022 Edward Ashton book Mickey7, asks the question: “What does it feel like to die?” The answer comes from its protagonist, Mickey (Pattinson), who signs up to join a government program where he must die repeatedly for the sake of societal progress. It’s all very cryptic, but here’s everything we know about Mickey 17 so far:
What is the plot of Mickey 17?
Joon Ho wrote the script as an adaptation of Mickey7. That novel is about ‘Expendable’ Mickey7, a “disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim,” according to a plot description. “Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.” Based on the first two trailers for Mickey 17 (below), it seems the film follows this plotline pretty faithfully, despite the expanded number of Mickeys.
Who else is in the Mickey 17 cast?
In addition to Pattinson in the titular role, the Mickey 17 cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Blink Twice’s Naomi Ackie, Nope’s Steven Yeun, and Hereditary star Toni Collette.
Are there trailers for Mickey 17?
There are two official trailers for the film. In the first clip, we see Pattinson’s Mickey, who has a vaguely Midwestern accent, fill out an application to be an “expendable,” declaring life on earth to no longer be worth it. As he’s sent on mission after mission where he must die some gory or strange death, he is regenerated back to life. In classic Joon Ho style, the whole thing has a dark humor to it, with Dean Martin’s jaunty “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” soundtracking Mickey’s seemingly endless deaths:
The second trailer, released on January 22, features a similar format, with The Animals’ “It’s My Life” playing instead. It also introduces Nasha (Ackie), Mickey’s love interest. After being sent on increasingly absurd and painful missions that end in his death, it appears that two Mickey clones somehow end up in the same room, resulting in a case of “multiples.” Chaos ensues as each Mickey tries to stay alive. Watch below:
When will Mickey 17 be released?
Mickey 17’s hits theaters (including IMAX) on April 18, 2025 (Easter Weekend), pushed back from its original January 31 release date.
The reason? Lionsgate’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, was delayed from April 18 to October 2025 to give it a chance at the Oscars. That means less competition for IMAX theaters nationwide on Easter Weekend—an opportunity Warner Bros. grabbed onto by moving Mickey 17 into the prime slot.
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