Bong Joon-ho Returns with Sci-Fi Film 'Mickey 17' Set for Domestic Release

Director Bong Joon-ho is making his return to the big screen with the sci-fi film 'Mickey 17', his first project since the acclaimed 'Parasite' (2019). The film is set to premiere in South Korea on February 28, 2025. During a press conference held on January 20 at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, Bong described 'Mickey 17' as a story about an ordinary and powerless young man named Mickey, filled with the essence of human struggle. Lead actor Robert Pattinson, who plays Mickey, also attended the event after arriving in Korea the day before.

The film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s novel 'Mickey7'. While the original story features Mickey dying seven times, the film increases that number to ten. Bong explained that he wanted to portray the experience of workers through a variety of deaths. The setting has been moved from a thousand years in the future to the near future of 2050. He remarked, "Did we ever imagine we would be conversing with ChatGPT? The year 2050 is a future that the audience can actually relate to, making it a more tangible sci-fi experience."

In the film, Mickey opens a macaron shop using loan shark money but faces bankruptcy. To escape the loan shark who is pursuing him to the ends of the Earth, he volunteers as expendable labor to be sent into space. These expendables, who are sent to undertake dangerous tasks akin to radiation exposure, can be printed anew after dying multiple times. Chaos ensues when both Mickey17 and Mickey18 exist simultaneously.

Bong noted that the concept of humans being printed like documents is inherently dehumanizing and reflects the plight of workers in extreme situations. However, he clarified that the film is not a political statement but rather a coming-of-age story about how Mickey navigates his difficult circumstances.

While creating this sci-fi film, Bong also reflected on the implications of the AI era. He shared, "I ponder every night about what kind of screenplay AI could never write. Just as Lee Sedol made a move that defeated AlphaGo, I want to include elements in my script that AI cannot replicate. Robert Pattinson expressed his admiration for Bong's unique worldview, stating that he was captivated by 'Memories of Murder' and wanted to collaborate with him.

'Mickey 17' is being distributed by Warner Bros. with a reported production budget of $150 million (approximately 220 billion KRW). Bong revealed that this film features a love story for the first time in his 25-year directing career, which he finds particularly fulfilling. 'Mickey 17' has also been invited to screen in the Special Section of the non-competitive category at the Berlin International Film Festival next month.