Thescience fiction genrehas gained significant critical acclaim in the last decade. From the imaginative storytelling inAnnihilation, the innovative costume and set design inThe Matrix, and the sociocultural commentary inSnowpiercer,the science fiction genre offers a unique platform for creative work. The upcoming filmMickey 17demonstrates the breadth and future of the genre. The film centers on a futuristic, semi-dystopian society, an impossible mission, and expendable employees with a warped understanding of their job.
Mickey 17is the latest production from Oscar-award-winning writer-director Bong Joon-Ho(Parasite, Okja, Snowpiercer, The Host, Barking Dogs Never Bite).Joon-Ho gained critical acclaim for his ability to showcase hard-hitting, relevant themes withhis previous work,Parasite, including complex themes of class conflict, social inequality, and wealth disparity.Mickey 17is likely to delve into similar themes; the dystopian corporation and disposable nature of its employees point to commentary on capitalist society. With a large amount of momentum from the famed director, showrunners, and star-studded cast,Mickey 17is slated to be a creative, innovative, science-fiction feature.
Ahead of its anticipated 2024 release, here’s everything we know.
Mickey 17: The Plot
Mickey 17is a loose adaptation ofMickey 7, a fictional novel published by Edward Ashto. The book’s publisher, St. Martin Press, compared the novel to Andy Weir’sThe MartianandDark Matter,cementingMickey 7as a fast-paced, concept-driven, cerebral thriller just like Joon-ho’s previous works.
Mickey 7, the inspiration behind the film, tells the story of the character Mickey7. He is an outcast, downtrodden, disposable employee of a semi-dystopian corporation. While Mickey himself isn’t disposable, his current physical body is; each time an employee dies, a new body is regenerated with most of the original person’s memories intact. Therefore, Mickey7, the protagonist of the novel, is the seventh iteration of his original form. In a way, the workers are immortal in a very fractured way. Mickey1 and other coworkers are tasked with colonizing the ice world Niflheim.
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What began as a conflict between Mickey7 and his seemingly insurmountable task ends up with a deep, cutting personal conflict. To begin, Mickey1 and his coworkers are sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim, and to get there, they all face a tangled web of obstacles. He is tasked with mission after mission, each one culminating in the ultimate goal of colonizing the new terrain. However, as the missions become more dangerous, Mickey7 and his crew members face growing threats to their current clone forms. Mickey7, after six preceding deaths, finally realizes both the cost of their mission and why his job position was unfilled for so long.
Mickey7 is eventually left for dead on a mission gone wrong. After he narrowly survives and returns to base, he discovers the newly-created clone, Mickey8, alive, well, and in Mickey7’s position. Mickey7 refuses to accept the new addition to the crew, and he fights for his spot on the mission he had previously rejected.
While this is a likely premise of the film, Bong Joon-Ho is notorious foradapting literary workswith his own unique perspectiveMickey 17is loosely based on its literary predecessor, and it will likely contain the “plot twists” for which Bong Joon-Ho is famous.
Mickey 17: The Cast & Crew
Robert Pattinson(Twilight, The Batman, The Lighthouse),Steven Yeun(Minari, Nope),Naomi Ackie(I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Star Wars),Toni Collette(Hereditary, Knives Out, Nightmare Alley),and Mark Ruffalo(Avengers)are all confirmed cast members. Pattinson is Mickey Barnes.
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Mickey 17will be the latest production from Bong Joon-ho, following Oscar award-winningParasite. The producers include Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner of Plan B Entertainment, Dooho Choi of Kate Street Pictures, Peter Dodd on behalf of Warner Brothers, and writer-director Joon-ho.Plan B Entertainment(Moonlight, Okja, The King, Women Talking), and Joon-ho’s production company, Offscreen, are both producing the film.
Release Date
Mickey 17is scheduled to premiere on March 29th, 2024 according toDeadline. Notably,Mickey 17is scheduled for a weekend premiere alongside Sony’sSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verseand an untitled film from Universal.
Everything Else We Know
In addition to Bong Joon-Ho’s critical notoriety,Mickey 17features numerous award-winning film creatives. The complete award-winning team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Darius Khondji(Okja, Evita),Oscar-nominated production designer Fiona Crombie(The Favorite, Cruella),Oscar-nominated editor Jinno Yang(Parasite), costume designer Catherine George(Okja, Snowpiercer),and visual effects supervisor Dan Glass (The Matrixfranchise). This wide assortment of creatives all come from previous cult-following science fiction/horror features, with many of them having worked previously or peripherally with Joon-Ho.
Mickey 17joins other high-profile Warner Brothers productions scheduled for 2024, includingThe Lord of The Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, aMad Maxspin-offFuriousa, andJoker: Folie A Deux.
