Six years after captivating the world with "Parasite" (2019), director Bong Joon-ho returns with "Mickey 17," a sci-fi adventure infused with heart, humanity and, according to the director, the subtle smell of "feet."

“Our film is more like a sci-fi story that deals with something right in front of us and that’s around us — which we jokingly called sci-fi that 'smells like feet,'” director Bong said during a press conference for the film held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Monday. “But let’s just call it human-centered sci-fi.”


The film is set to be released on Feb. 28 in Korea, a week earlier than its North American premiere on March 7.

Bong's latest film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel “Mickey7.” It follows the story of Mickey Barnes, a disposable employee who gets “printed,” or regenerated, each time he dies while completing extreme missions. However, things take an unexpected turn when Mickey 17, the 17th version of Mickey, encounters Mickey 18, who was printed under the assumption that Mickey 17 had died. The film follows their intertwined journeys as they navigate through the challenges ahead.

"Mickey 17” stars Robert Pattinson, who plays Mickey, alongside actors Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo.

Bong is well-known for reflecting social realities and class struggle in his films, including the acclaimed works “Parasite” and “Snowpiercer” (2013). His latest work continues this tradition, with Bong saying that he “naturally” portrayed the struggle of the working class in this film, as the character Mickey's social position is placed in extreme circumstances during the story. However, he also emphasized that the film should not be interpreted overpolitically.

“The film doesn’t carry a grand political banner of class struggle,” director Bong said. “Instead, it's more about how pitiful Mickey’s situation is, as well as how he navigates through those difficult situations during dire circumstances. In a way, it’s also a coming-of-age story for Mickey.”

Pattinson, who was present at the press conference, marked his first Korean promotional visit by saying, “I don't understand how I've never managed to come to Seoul."

The funny, crazy, simple-looking yet complicated script, was what lured him into taking the role, according to the actor.

“In my first read [of the script], it seemed it's deceptively simple because it's crazy and it's funny and it's a really quick read,” Pattinson said. "But then, when you try and break down what the actual mentality of why [Mickey] is the way he is, it kind of gets very complicated very quickly, and even trying to play the humor of it, it was quite hard."

The actor also shared that one of his inspirations for portraying Mickey, who remains unchanged despite being reprinted over a dozen times, was his pet dog.

“I thought I was playing a dog,” the actor said. “I used to have this really badly behaved dog and would try to train it, and it would never learn its lesson.

“I kind of thought that's sort of what Mickey is because no one can really punish him. No level of punishment ever makes him change, [but then] it requires literally dying 17 times for him to realize that maybe I should live my life in a slightly different way.”

The film marks a few other firsts alongside Pattinson’s visit to Korea: Bong’s first love story and Ruffalo’s first villain role.

It depicts a love story between Mickey and Nasha, played by actor Ackie — an area Bong had never explored before in his work.

“Everything was fun and fascinating, as it was my first try [shooting outer space scenes],” the director said. “However, to be honest, what was more exciting was that, for the first time in my 25 years as a director, a love story actually appears in the film.”

The film also features a notable collaboration with Mark Ruffalo, who takes on his first antagonist role, the villainous politician Hieronymous Marshall.

“[Ruffalo plays] a unique type of dictator character that you haven't seen before — he's a bit clueless and cute, a dangerous kind of cuteness perhaps,” director Bong said.

"When he [Ruffalo] first received the script, he was a bit taken aback, thinking, 'Why me for this role? Do I really have this side to me? It was a bit like that at first," the director said, adding that the actor usually plays righteous and just characters. "But in the end, he really enjoyed playing the role."

There is still over a month left until its release in Korea, but the director and actor showed enthusiasm and confidence when talking about the long-awaited film.

“Everyone who watches the movie is gonna have as fun of time as we had making it. And it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had,” Pattinson said.


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]