In the first trailer for Mickey 17, Robert Pattinson faces repeated deaths in Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated follow-up to Parasite, his Best Picture winner. Pattinson portrays Mickey Barnes, a space colonist classified as an “expendable” — individuals who undertake the colony’s most dangerous tasks, often dying in the process, only to be revived through human printing technology.
The story is based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey 7, which follows the seventh iteration of Mickey Barnes. For the film, that number has been increased to 17. Speaking at CinemaCon in April, Bong said with a laugh, “The number reflects how many times he dies. I killed him 10 more times.” He described the film as a sci-fi movie with a deeply human story. Pattinson plays both Mickey 17 and Mickey 18, and during CinemaCon, he explained that the two characters have distinct personalities. Mickey 17 is worn down by life but remains content to be part of the team, while Mickey 18 is a “wild brother” who is “out of control.”
The trailer has been eagerly awaited, as the movie’s release was originally planned for March 2024 but was pushed to January 31, 2025, due to post-production delays. The new release date takes Mickey 17 out of the awards season spotlight that Parasite previously dominated.
The film also stars Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Naomie Ackie, and Toni Collette. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ackie expressed excitement and nervousness about her role, noting, “The emotions are heightened, and it’s tonally different from anything I’ve done before. I hope I got the balance right.”
