The first trailer for director Bong Joon-ho's follow-up to Parasite has dropped, teasing existential themes right off the bat. Mickey 17 promises an intriguing adaptation of Edward Ashton's science fiction novel depicted in Joon-ho's eclectic style.
The synopsis for Mickey 17 barely scratches the surface of its plot: "The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) 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."
Those who have read Edward Ashton's Mickey7 know the film would explore the same premise, but told through Bong Joon-ho's creative style. The first trailer for Mickey 17confirmed this, teasing dark satire cloaked in a straightforward narrative. It's likely the film has more twists in store for audiences, but so far the story appears to follow the beats of the source material.
The trailer reveals Pattinson's character as a human guinea pig for a space colony. Mickey Barnes is employed as an Expendable, a disposable human rover sent out to the harshest environments on behalf of the colony. His experience (suffering, and death) is documented and used for research, which contributes to humanity's exploration of the final frontier. The plot hinged on an existing technology that allows the colony to "print" new versions of Barnes' body; the new Mickey retains the original's personality and all of the previous versions' cumulative memories. The title hints that 17 Mickeys were printed in the film, but the trailer suggests that at least four Mickeys (including a Mickey 18) will also appear.
Mickey 17 Explores A Deeply Existential Theme
Similar to the novel, Mickey 17's plot comes to a head when one Mickey encounters a duplicate. The film will likely explore how the space colony deals with the Mickeys as they gradually become aware of their agency. Director Bong Joon-ho previously addressed why the film's title is different from the novel: "I killed him 10 more times, that's why we changed it," he explained (per Screen Rant). Ashton already anticipated such revisions when he learned Joon-ho would adapt the novel, which is critically acclaimed by the science fiction community.
"I've had people ask me 'Are you nervous?' Literally, Director Bong is going to change a lot about the book," Ashton told Nerdist. "When I spoke with him, he made it pretty clear. 'You've got a 350-page book. I'm gonna have a 120-page script. There's a lot that's gonna go.' So my answer is no, I'm not concerned about that at all. In my view, the man's a genius. I don't believe he's ever made a bad film. And I sincerely hope that this isn't going to be his first." The premise of uploaded consciousness is a popular science fiction theme, previously explored in films like Moon, Don't Worry Darling, Transcendence, and Lucy.
Mickey 17 releases in theaters on Jan. 28, 2025.
Source: YouTube
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