Robert Pattinson: “Director Bong Joon-ho’s daring work… a crazy script.”

‘Mickey 17’ Promotion Visit… Bong Joon-ho “Cast Pattinson from the Beginning”

“A Sci-Fi Movie Full of Human Scent… Also a Story of a Pitiful Young Man”

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Jin Yeon-soo = Director Bong Joon-ho and actor Robert Pattinson pose at the ‘Mickey 17’ press conference held at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 20th. 2025.1.20 jin90@yna.co.kr

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Bo-ram and Park Won-hee = “The director’s ability to not lose humor within the work was very appealing. I think it’s rare to find a sci-fi film that shows light and humorous scenes in a movie of such a grand scale, similar to the ‘Star Wars’ series.”

Robert Pattinson, the lead actor in Director Bong Joon-ho’s first Hollywood movie ‘Mickey 17’, said at the press conference held at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul on the 20th, “It’s Director Bong’s courageous work.” He came to Korea the day before for the movie’s promotion and is fulfilling related schedules.

Director Bong’s ‘Mickey 17’, coming six years after ‘Parasite’, is a sci-fi film about a cloned human sent to colonize an ice-covered planet. Pattinson takes the role of the protagonist, Mickey, who is discarded and reborn as a clone each time he dies on a mission. The story unfolds when the 17th Mickey encounters the suddenly resurrected 18th Mickey.

Pattinson described it as “A crazy scenario I quickly found fun to read, but it gets complicated when looking into why Mickey ends up that way,” adding, “He’s a character lacking confidence and somewhat foolish.”

He said he embodied the Mickey character by drawing inspiration from his pet dog, who never learned despite numerous teachings.

Pattinson laughed, “Like my pet dog who never changed despite any discipline, Mickey only realizes he should have lived differently after dying 17 times.”

Director Bong had his eye on Pattinson since he showed outstanding performance in American independent films like ‘Good Time’ (2018) and ‘The Lighthouse’ (2019).

Director Bong said, “Mickey 17, who is foolish and pitiful, and Mickey 18, who emits charismatic unpredictability, require both roles to be played, essentially a dual role. I considered who could embody both roles, and Pattinson came to mind from the start, making the casting process smooth.”

Before this press conference, the world’s first footage preview (a preview showcasing parts of the movie) was held.

Various scenes showed people being indifferent to parts of Mickey’s body falling off or being attacked by alien creatures, and scenes where Mickey’s body is used for experiments. The process where Mickey applies for the ‘Expendable’ clone program to repay unmanageable debt on Earth was also depicted. ‘Bong Joon-ho style’ black comedy, depicting tragic stories with humor, catches the eye.

Director Bong described it as “A humanistic sci-fi movie full of human scent,” adding, “It’s also a story of an ordinary, weak, and in some ways pitiful young man.”

He continued, “Being part of the working class in an extreme situation, I think class issues might seep into the work,” but emphasized, “However, it doesn’t carry political banners to discuss class struggles in a grand manner.”

rambo@yna.co.kr