Dying for mankind is a noble cause, but when it is a part of your job, then it becomes a question of how much a person’s life is worth when working for a corporation that sees people as expendable. Such is the premise for Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17.” The film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a man has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
Joon-ho, the director of the Oscar-winning film Parasite, is directing and adapting the novel. Mickey7 is a 2022 science fiction novel by Edward Ashton. The novel colonist Mickey Barnes, a.k.a. Mickey7, tries to survive in a beachhead colony on an alien world. The job he reluctantly signed up for is to be “expendable”, undertaking all of the most dangerous tasks necessary for a mission to colonize the ice world Niflheim.
Based on the trailer, Joon-Ho’s adapation looks to stay true to the spirit of the novel. Of course, there will be a few creative choices to make it more cinematic. But for the most part it will be faithful to the novel.
And the premise of the novel is right in Joon-Ho’s wheelhouse. Considering he’s love of dark comedies and social commentary, the film looks to explore themes of identity, sacrifice, the ethics of cloning, the value of human lives, and how corporate figureheads see the 99%.
The film also stars Naomi Ackie (“Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”), Steven Yeun (“Nope”), with Academy Award nominees Toni Collette (“Hereditary”), and Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”).
he film is produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner (Oscar winners for “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave”), Bong Joon Ho and Dooho Choi (“Okja,” “Snowpiercer”). It is based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton. The executive producers are Brad Pitt, Jesse Ehrman, Peter Dodd and Marianne Jenkins. The director of photography is Darius Khondji (Oscar nomination for “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” “Okja”). The production designer is Fiona Crombie (Oscar nomination for “The Favourite,” “Cruella”). It is edited by Yang Jinmo (Oscar nomination for “Parasite,” “Okja”). The music is by Jung Jaeil (“Parasite,” “Squid Game”). The visual effects supervisor is Dan Glass (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”). The costume designer is Catherine George (“Okja,” Snowpiercer”).
“Mickey 17” opens in theaters on March 7, 2025.
