Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17,’ starring Robert Pattinson, to premiere at Berlin Film Festival

Bong Joon Ho’s highly awaited sci-fi movie Mickey 17, featuring Robert Pattinson, will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, according to sources.

This $118 million project is Bong’s first film since Parasite, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and made history as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The movie is set to release in South Korea on February 28, 2025, followed by a global release a week later by Warner Bros. Reports suggest there may also be a premiere in South Korea before its Berlin debut.

The film’s inclusion in the Berlin Film Festival lineup is a significant achievement for the festival’s new artistic director, Tricia Tuttle. Known for her work with the BFI London Film Festival, Tuttle is hosting her first Berlinale edition this year, bringing a fresh approach to the event.

Based on Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7, the movie stars Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a worker assigned to risky tasks on an ice planet. In the story, when one version of Mickey dies, another clone is created, keeping most of his memories. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo.

Bong not only directed the film but also produced it through his company, Offscreen, alongside Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Dooho Choi.

The movie’s release was initially planned for March 2024, then January 2025, and was eventually pushed to late February. The delays allowed for completion of the project, which faced setbacks due to Hollywood strikes and production challenges.

The Berlin Film Festival, running from February 13 to 23, will also feature Tom Tykwer’s The Light as its opening film. The full lineup will be announced on January 21.

Under Tuttle’s leadership, the festival promises fresh updates, including new venues like the Stage Bluemax Theater and Berlinale Hub75 at Potsdamer Platz.