In a striking first trailer for “Mickey 17,” Robert Pattinson finds himself facing repeated deaths, highlighting his character’s perilous role in this anticipated film from director Bong Joon Ho, known for the Academy Award-winning film “Parasite.”
Pattinson portrays Mickey Barnes, a space colonist classified as an “expendable.” These expendables undertake the most hazardous tasks for the colony, often dying in the process, only to be resurrected through advanced human printing technology.
The narrative is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel “Mickey 7,” which focuses on the seventh version of Mickey Barnes. In the film adaptation, the character’s count has escalated to 17. Bong humorously noted at CinemaCon in April, “The number represents how many times he dies. I killed him 10 times more. It’s a sci-fi movie, but it’s a human story.”
Pattinson switches between portraying Mickey 17 and Mickey 18 throughout the film. At CinemaCon, he described the two characters as distinct, with Mickey 17 being weary yet content, while Mickey 18 is depicted as a more chaotic version, akin to “an evil brother.”
The trailer has generated significant anticipation, as the film’s release was originally set for March 2024 but has since been pushed to January 31, 2025 due to delays in post-production. This new release date has caught the attention of industry watchers, as it positions “Mickey 17” outside the coveted awards season following the success of “Parasite.”
The film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Naomie Ackie, and Toni Collette. Recently, Ackie expressed her excitement and nerves about the film’s emotional depth, stating, “It’s heightened emotions and tonally different than what I’ve done before, so I’m quite scared to see it and hoping I balanced it right.”