Robert Pattinson Stars in ‘Mickey 17’ – Get the Inside Scoop on the Latest Thriller!

It seems like a lifetime ago, back in February 2020, just a few months after his unanimous Palme d’Or win at Cannes for “Parasite” and upsetting the odds by snatching both the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director from the expected winner, Sam Mendes’ “1917”.

Since then, much water has flowed under the bridge. The COVID pandemic has completely transformed the global film industry, and the director, holding the record for the biggest Korean box office hit in France, took his time to craft his post-“Parasite” era, not without overseeing the restoration of “The Host”, his monster movie.

But the wait is nearly over as “Mickey 17”, his next piece, is on the brink of release. This film marks a return to science fiction for the “Snowpiercer” director, maintaining his known satirical tone. And here’s what we know so far.

Release Date: When is “Mickey 17” Coming Out?

Many hoped to count it among their top picks for 2024. It could have even been available for streaming by now if it had launched last March as initially planned. However, the release was first postponed to an unspecified date, which many thought indicated a potential premiere at Cannes or Venice. Later, it was scheduled for January 29, 2025, in France, skipping both festivals, then pushed back to April 13, and finally moved up to March 5. This places its release just a few weeks after its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, where it made quite a splash.

Casting: Who Stars in “Mickey 17”?

In 2017, with “Okja” (the film that brought Netflix into the Cannes competition briefly), Bong Joon-ho directed Paul Dano, who would later become The Riddler in “The Batman”. In “Mickey 17”, he casts Matt Reeves’ Bruce Wayne, Robert Pattinson.

Alongside him, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette will share the screen for the first time, joined by Naomi Ackie (known for playing Whitney Houston in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and recently seen in Zoë Kravitz’s “Blink Twice”), Angus Imrie (Merlin in the underrated “The Kid Who Would Be King”), French actress Anamaria Vartolomei, and Steven Yeun, who for the first time will work with his compatriot Bong Joon-ho, after starring in Lee Chang-Dong’s “Burning”.

When directing films in English (“Snowpiercer” and “Okja”), the “Parasite” and “Memories of Murder” director knows how to assemble a stellar cast. And one can imagine he had plenty of options following his triumph in the pre-COVID era.

The Plot: What is “Mickey 17” About?

In 2001, Christophe Honoré introduced us to “17 Times Cécile Cassard”. In 2025, Bong Joon-ho does the same with Mickey Barnes. However, the comparison stops there, as the former is a drama based on an original script, while the latter is a sci-fi film inspired by Edward Ashton’s novel titled “Mickey 7”.

Is inflation to blame? Not exactly: “It’s because I kill him ten times more,” Bong Joon-ho explained at last April’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, justifying the title change. The story revolves around a “consumable”, a volunteer enlisted to test the dangers facing humanity. He regenerates into a new body, retaining his memories, each time he dies. That is until both Mickey 18 and Mickey 17 are alive at the same time.

While it was once speculated that Toni Collette, Mark Ruffalo, and Steven Yeun might play different physical versions of Mickey, the trailer confirmed that Robert Pattinson would portray all iterations of his character. He will even act opposite himself when numbers 17 and 18 coexist. It’s a chance for the English actor to deliver a doubly delicious performance in a film blending comedy, sci-fi, and social commentary, all under Bong Joon-ho’s direction. A tantalizing mix we can soon enjoy in theaters.