Bong Joon Ho’s latest feature film — sci-fi comedy Mickey 17 — is coming soon, and its first trailer has just been released. The highly-anticipated film is Bong’s first directorial effort since 2019’s Parasite, which secured a best-picture win at the 2020 Oscars, and stars Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun and Mark Ruffalo.
Mickey 17 is adapted from Mickey 7, a 2022 novel written by Edward Ashton. Set in outer space, the plot will follow interplanetary colonist Mickey Barnes, played by Pattinson, as he takes on a new occupation as an “expendable.” Mickey becomes tasked with the fictional society’s most life-threatening missions, but the kick is that he is repeatedly cloned anytime he dies on the job.
The tone of the trailer may lead viewers to believe that Ho has cooked up a conventional sci-fi comedy, but Ho has become well-known for his poignant critiques of society. Parasite (2019) and his adaptation of Snowpiercer (2013) were both lauded for their clever metaphorical approach to depicting class divisions. OKJA (2017) interrogated food systems by introducing a speculative future that relied on meat from genetically enhanced animals. However, Mickey 17 will be his first movie setting to leave planet Earth for the cosmos.
Watch the full trailer for Mickey 17 above. Tickets for screenings will become available leading up to the January 31, 2025 release.
