Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Mickey 17’ Shifts to April After Michael Jackson Biopic Moved to Fall
Bong Joon Ho fans will have to wait a little bit longer to see the director’s long-awaited return after “Parasite.” Warner Bros. has shifted the Robert Pattinson-led sci-fi film “Mickey 17” to April 18, 2025, three months after the previous release date of Jan. 31, 2025.
The new date allows the film to screen in IMAX and hopefully capture audiences over the Easter holiday. The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” from director Antoine Fuqua was originally set for the April 18 slot, tying up IMAX and premium large format screens, but was pushed to Oct. 3 by Lionsgate earlier this week, prompting Warner Bros. to make the switch.
More from Variety
“When the April 18 date became available, we quickly moved to secure it for ‘Mickey 17,'” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re thrilled with the new date, and very happy the film will be available to audiences in IMAX.”
Moving into the vacant “Mickey 17” January slot is Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Companion,” previously dated three weeks earlier for Jan. 10. “With January 31 now available with a full IMAX footprint, we are also very happy to have Companion releasing on this new date,” the Warner Bros. spokesperson added.
This isn’t the first time “Mickey 17” has been pushed back, as it was originally dated for March 29, 2024. Sources told Variety that the first shift to 2025 was to allow more time to finish the project, which had been affected due to last year’s strikes and other various production shifts.
Studio sources say the April date change, however, was as a vote of confidence in director Bong following positive response to the film’s first trailer, released in September.
Based on the 2022 novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton, the sci-fi thriller stars Pattinson an “expendable” employee named Mickey Barnes. In the novel, Mickey is sent on dangerous missions to colonize an ice planet. When one version of Mickey dies, a duplicate is created to replace him that retains most of his memories. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
