Mickey 17, From Parasite Director Bong Joon-Ho, Gets New Release Date

Mickey 17, the next film from Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-Ho, is finally headed to theaters. On Tuesday, Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed that Mickey 17 is expected to make its debut on January 31, 2025. The film, which had already become one of the most-anticipated movies of 2024 despite no trailer or marketing campaign, was initially expected to be released on March 29, 2024. Last month, Warner Bros. removed Mickey 17 from its release date calendar, filling that initial spot with Godzilla x Kong: the New Empire.

According to reports, the decision to move Mickey 17 into 2025 was partially to provide more time to finish the project after being stalled by last year’s Hollywood strikes. The move will now allow Mickey 17 to play in IMAX, which had not been guaranteed with any earlier release date due to commitments to other titles.

What Is Mickey 17 About?

Mickey 17 is based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton, which was released by St. Martin. In it, 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.

“Director Bong does his own thing, and he’s writing the script,” Ashton explained in an interview with Space.com. “He asked for my input on a few things early on. Like some details I had not considered when I was writing the book, such as, How do Creepers reproduce? That was a great question, and we talked it through. A lot of people have asked if I’m nervous since he has a reputation for diverting from the source material. My answer was absolutely not. That man is a genius. I’ve seen all of his films, and he’s never made a bad one. I don’t think he’s going to start with Mickey 7. He’ll do a fantastic job.”

Who Stars in Mickey 17?

Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson (The Batman), with an ensemble cast that also includes Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Toni Collette (Knives Out), and Mark Ruffalo (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law).

“I’m terrified to speak on it,” Ackie explained in a recent interview with Total Film. “The cast on it are incredible, director Bong is one of the most genius and kind men I’ve ever had the privilege to work with. The story is heartwarming and wild and funny. We had a lot of fun, there was a lot of laughter on that set. I think what I really loved about the making of that film was how intricate it was, how detailed it was. The story is amazing, but how he chooses to tell it is very decisive, he’s a very decisive director. He knows what he wants, and he’s specific in a really freeing way. Man, I love that guy so much. Getting to see how he directs and how he puts his films together is like the most unique way I’ve ever seen. It’s incredible, I geeked out hard from the technical actor perspective, it was just like a totally different shift on how I’ve ever performed.”

What do you think of Mickey 17 getting a new release date? Are you excited to see the film when it debuts in January of 2025? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Variety