'Mickey 17' is a story about an average person who unintentionally becomes a hero: Bong Joon Ho

Following the groundbreaking success of Parasite, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho returns with his latest sci-fi epic, Mickey 17, a thought-provoking tale of survival, identity, and existential purpose.
Starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role alongside Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, the film is based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7.
Talking about "Mickey 17" being a futuristic almost cautionary tale—about the Earth, the state of it and the people, director Bong Joon Ho says, "Well, it’s not that the Earth goes extinct—it just becomes a harsh place to live in, so people end up leaving. It’s an everyday matter. They get on a spaceship like it’s a red-eye flight from LA to New York. It’s not a mass migration or exodus. The film’s tone and mood make it feel quite matter-of-fact. Leaving Earth and migrating to another planet seems like quite a common choice. So, people in this film roam around without a destination in life, and they’re lonely. They don’t have families, but they still find love. This film’s also a love story between Mickey and Nasha. This aspect of wandering people finding relationships is a big part of the story."
Ask him what makes this story so pertinent to the moment we’re living in right now and he says, "Because it’s a story of young people, working class people. It’s about someone who’s powerless, but he unexpectedly becomes a hero. You can say it’s a story about an average person who unintentionally becomes a hero all of a sudden. And the way he becomes that hero is also unique. I thought, “That’s the kind of story contemporary audiences would want to see.”
The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release on March 7, 2025.