THE APEX TIMES
Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ gets first-look trailer and a theatrical release date
Warner Bros. and Plan B Entertainment released a first trailer for the Parasite director’s next film, starring Robert Pattinson, and set an initial March 2024 opening date that later shifted.
Bong Joon Ho’s next English-language film, “Mickey 17,” received a first look in early December 2022, when a trailer and release date were announced for the Robert Pattinson-led project. CNN reported that the film was scheduled to open in theaters on March 29, 2024, following the release of the trailer that introduced Pattinson alongside a supporting ensemble including Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.
The production is based on “Mickey 7,” the novel by Edward Ashton. CNN reported that Bong Joon Ho, an Academy Award winner for “Parasite,” wrote the screenplay, with the film expected to diverge from the book in places. The earlier reporting also said that Plan B Entertainment is producing the project, and that composer Jae-il Jung, who worked on “Parasite,” will provide the score.
According to the same December 2022 account, the story centers on Mickey 7, who is one of the employees assigned to a human expedition intended to colonize the ice world Niflheim. CNN described Mickey 7’s role as taking on missions considered too dangerous for other team members, while the character has already experienced multiple iterations of his life.
The initial date did not hold. In April 2024, The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire reported that the release was delayed from its earlier plan, with IndieWire stating the film would open on January 31, 2025 after the postponement. IndieWire also reported that the trailer was shown to audiences at CinemaCon, indicating a renewed push by the studio and distributor closer to the updated calendar.
Further schedule changes followed later in 2024. Variety reported in November 2024 that Warner Bros. shifted “Mickey 17” again, moving it to April 18, 2025 from the previously announced January 31, 2025 date. Variety’s report framed the shift as part of a broader slate adjustment affecting major theatrical releases.
No further public changes to “Mickey 17”’s core creative credits were detailed in these later updates, but the repeated movement of the release window underscores the level of coordination required across production completion, marketing timelines, and theater scheduling. With a trailer released publicly in 2022 and multiple adjusted opening dates thereafter, the film remains positioned as a high-profile follow-up to Bong Joon Ho’s earlier global success.
As the project continues toward release, studios typically use these staggered announcements to align promotional materials with when the film is finalized for distribution. In the case of “Mickey 17,” the record shows a promotional rollout beginning with the first trailer in late 2022 and a later cadence of calendar updates through the end of 2024 as the theatrical window was revised.
Why It Matters
- The trailer and date announcements mark the point at which a major auteur-directed studio release begins formal mass-market marketing, with distribution plans tied to theater calendars.
- The project’s multiple release-date shifts, from an initial March 2024 plan to January 31, 2025 and then April 18, 2025, reflect how large-scale production schedules can affect release coordination.
- Because the film is based on a named novel and features a widely followed international director and cast, schedule changes can affect downstream marketing, promotional appearances, and theater bookings.
- The involvement of Plan B Entertainment and composer Jae-il Jung, cited in the initial reporting, indicates continuity in key production elements even as the release window changed.
Sources
Key Facts
- A first-look trailer for “Mickey 17,” Bong Joon Ho’s next film, was released in December 2022 alongside a stated theatrical opening date.
- CNN reported the initial theatrical release date as March 29, 2024.
- CNN reported that the screenplay is written by Bong Joon Ho and is based on Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey 7.”
- CNN reported the cast includes Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.
- Variety reported in November 2024 that Warner Bros. moved the release to April 18, 2025.
- IndieWire reported in April 2024 that the film would open on January 31, 2025 after a delay and that the trailer was shown at CinemaCon.