It might be hard to follow Parasite. Bong Joon Ho’s last film won four Oscars, one of which was the first Best Picture Oscar won by a non-English language film. It broke international box office records and was the must-see film of 2019.
But Bong’s next film, which was announced early this year, looks more than promising. Mickey 17, based on a novel by Edward Ashton, stars professional weirdo Robert Pattinson (The Batman) and is about a clone, which is already enough to fully have my attention. And now we’ve got a date to mark on our calendars—and a very tiny teaser of what’s to come.
Pattinson is joined in the film by Steve Yeun (Minari), Naomi Ackie (Master of None), Toni Collette (Hereditary), and Marvel mainstay Mark Ruffalo. Bong wrote the adaptation, and is producing and directing the movie, which is currently in production with a whole team of filmmaking stars: cinematographer Darius Khondji (who’s shot everything from Se7en to Okja); production designer Fiona Crombie (The Favourite); Parasite editor Jinmo Yang and composer Jae-il Jung; Snowpiercer costume designer Catherine George; and visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, who has worked with the Wachowski sisters on multiple films and also, notably, on Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
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Plot details have not been announced, but here’s how publisher St. Martin’s Press describes Mickey7, the book on which the movie is based:
Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.
Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.
On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.
Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.
That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.
If you’d curious about how this might work as an adaptation, you might read Anastasia Klimchynskaya’s essay on how the novel has the potential to become a fantastic film.
Mickey 17 appears in theaters on March 29, 2024.
