‘Mickey 17’ Achieves Success in South Korea Ahead of Big Global Release

Bong Joon-ho’s latest sci-fi flick, ‘Mickey 17’, is already making a splash, and it hasn’t even hit theaters worldwide yet. The movie landed in South Korea on February 28, 2025, and pulled in a cool $9 million over its first four days. That’s a huge win, especially since it coincided with the Independence Day holiday, giving it a perfect kickoff.

The film stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a guy who’s cloned over and over to tackle dangerous jobs on a mission to colonize an icy planet called Niflheim. It’s got that dark humor and sharp social commentary Bong is known for, which we loved in ‘Parasite’. Speaking of Pattinson, this is his biggest debut ever in South Korea. The guy’s clearly got a pull there, and it’s no surprise after his turns in ‘The Batman’ and ‘Twilight’.

What’s wild is how fast ‘Mickey 17’ took off. According to Collider, it racked up nearly a million ticket sales in its opening weekend alone, grabbing 69% of the box office share. By March 9, it had crossed 2 million moviegoers, making it the quickest film of 2025 to hit that mark in South Korea. We’re talking about a country that knows its cinema, so this kind of turnout says a lot.

Bong’s got a knack for blending big ideas with entertainment. This time, he’s teamed up with a stellar cast—think Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. The story follows Mickey as he keeps dying and getting “reprinted,” only for things to go haywire when two versions of him end up alive at once. It’s based on Edward Ashton’s novel ‘Mickey7’, but Bong’s put his own twist on it, stretching the title to ‘Mickey 17’ for reasons we’ll see on screen.

South Korea got the first taste, a full week before the global rollout on March 7. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier in February, earning solid praise with an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are calling it fresh and inventive, which tracks with Bong’s track record. After ‘Parasite’ swept the Oscars, expectations are sky-high, and so far, it’s delivering.

Now, ‘Mickey 17’ is set to land in over 1,500 IMAX spots worldwide, hitting North America, China, Europe, and Latin America. With a budget of $118 million, it’s a big swing for Warner Bros., but the early numbers suggest it’s got legs. I reckon Bong’s home turf success is a good sign for what’s coming. If it keeps this energy, we might be looking at another hit from the guy who redefined what a movie can do.