Mickey 17 trailer: Bong Joon-ho returns

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has finally released the first trailer for South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho’s “Mickey 17,” Bong’s follow-up to the 2020 Best Picture Oscar winner “Parasite.” Starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Naomie Ackie, and Mark Ruffalo, this is not Bong’s first time working with Hollywood actors (see “Snowpiercer” or “Okja”). But it is his first time working with a Hollywood studio.

And the increased budget absolutely shows. The film—set on vast spaceships and on imaginary planets—follows suit with the themes of his earlier work, mainly how workers get screwed by The Man. In the case of “Mickey 17,” they get screwed over and over, even after they die. The premise is that Pattinson signs up to be an “expendable” on some kind of interstellar work crew, which means his body is cloned should he perish due to an accident. His memories retain, however. There are complications when multiple Pattinsons appear, and some mayhem ensues. The trailer uses the Frank Sinatra tune “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.”

Few directors mix madcap action with rich drama like Bong does, and “Mickey 17” looks to be his most wild film since “The Host.” It was originally set to come out in March of 2024 (figure a SXSW premiere) but the studio shelved it in February, an aftershock tremor of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

The new date is January 31, 2025. Historically, January has been a dumping ground for bad movies, but personally I think WBD is on to something here. While it is true January releases don’t often get remembered come Awards Season, they can connect with audiences and make a real showing at the box office. “Mickey 17,” is an original IP (it is based on a book) and needs a little room away from big summer tentpoles. Bong’s already got the trophies on his shelf, I think he’s more interested now in pleasing the people.