Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 Set for March Theatrical Release

LOS ANGELES, CA — Director Bong Joon-ho‘s latest film, Mickey 17, is finally scheduled to hit theaters in early March 2024 after a series of delays. Originally slated for a March 2024 release, the film’s premiere was postponed due to labor strikes, prompting Warner Bros. to adjust its release date multiple times before landing on March 2025.

Starring Robert Pattinson as an ‘Expendable’ worker, Mickey 17 will explore the darkly comedic and dystopian themes that have become signature to Joon-ho’s portfolio. The character is tasked with perilous assignments that often lead to his demise, followed by a process of cloning. Given the quirky nature of the film, it is expected to resonate with fans of Joon-ho’s previous work, despite the monumental bar set by his Oscar-winning film, Parasite.

Parasite opened to $393,216 in its domestic debut across just three theaters and eventually grossed $53.3 million in the U.S. The box office expectations for Mickey 17 range between $15 million and $20 million, potentially marking the most successful opening of Bong Joon-ho’s career. Throughout his filmography, Joon-ho’s North American distribution rights have shifted between several distributors, including Magnolia, Radius-The Weinstein Company, Netflix, and Neon, before settling at Warner Bros., which aims to provide a broader theatrical release than any of his prior films.

Mickey 17 draws parallels to Joon-ho’s 2014 film Snowpiercer, which had a domestic opening of $171,187 across eight screens and a final total of $4.5 million, limiting its utility as a comparison point. The upcoming film will debut in a 2024 landscape that includes Captain America: Brave New World, another adult-skewing tentpole release, expected to open with $80 million to $95 million over its three-day holiday weekend.

A strong performance from Captain America could potentially dilute audience turnout for Mickey 17; however, should it fail to generate repeat viewings, Mickey 17 may find itself benefiting from a lack of high-profile competition. Warner Bros. has history with releasing genre films in March, achieving varying degrees of success. The company typically relies on established franchises and beloved directors; Mickey 17’s standing as an original story without a built-in fanbase makes its outcome less predictable.