Mark Ruffalo promises his new sci-fi film with Robert Pattinson is a “feel good movie,” while sharing a load of fun Mickey 17 set pH๏τos. Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite follow-up, adapted from a book by Edward Ashton, stars Pattinson as a cloned outer space worker, part of a program grimly called “Expendables,” whose dangerous labor causes him to die and be resurrected over-and-over. Even the Oscar-winning Bong himself thinks his latest might be a tough sell, as the movie reaches theaters on March 7, 2025.

Mickey 17’s marketing could indeed be causing confusion about the movie’s tone, but Pattinson’s co-star Ruffalo ᴀssures filmgoers that Bong’s latest is ultimately hopeful and “a feel good movie.” As if to prove his point, the four-time Oscar nominee posted a batch of BTS images showing all the fun he had working on the project, which he implores audiences to see in theaters:

Mickey 17 is out in the US this weekend. I’m excited for everyone to finally meet power couple Kenneth & Ylfa, the Mickeys, Nasha and Kai in space, and get a taste of the secret sauce. Director Bong Joon Ho has multiple powerful and [hopeful] messages in this film – ones that feel more important than ever. Don’t worry. It’s a feel good movie. Best to see this one big and in a group of people. Good movie theater movie.

What This Means For Mickey 17

The Film Might Be A Tough Sell To Audiences

Mickey 17’s wild premise may be difficult to put across in a trailer, and its darkly humorous tone may be challenging for audiences to get in tune with. Director Bong admitted as much in a recent LA Times interview, where he discussed his devil-may-care approach to filmmaking, and confessed to feeling sympathy for the movie’s marketing team:

I feel bad for the producers and the marketing team for saying this — I know they have a very hard job. But once I find a particular story or character or situation fascinating, I just go ahead and I create a movie based on it. I really don’t think about the risks. Maybe I can’t.

Mickey 17 is indeed viewed as a risky venture, given its $118 million budget. Ruffalo has now done his bit to clarify some things about the movie’s tone, ᴀssuring audiences they won’t be depressed by Bong’s Parasite follow-up, and might even get a hopeful message from the movie. It’s yet to be seen whether audiences will buy what Bong and company are selling, but response to the film has thus far been favorable. ScreenRant, for example, gave Mickey 17 an 8-star review.

Our Take On Ruffalo’s Mickey 17 ᴀssurances

It’s Hard To See The Movie’s Hook

Bong’s thriller Parasite did not look like a potential hit when it arrived on American shores back in 2019. Following a poor family who take over the life of a wealthy clan, the film was incredibly twisty and strange, and quite downbeat in its portrayal of modern life in South Korea.

Despite everything it had going against it, the $11.4 film grossed a respectable $53 million in North America, on its way to a worldwide gross of $258 million. But Parasite’s biggest moment came on Oscar night, when it won five awards, including Best Picture, making it the first foreign-language film to ever claim the Academy’s top prize.

Bong’s big Oscar night set him up to make his first American studio film, but rather than take on an existing franchise, he stayed true to his offbeat instincts by adapting a little-known sci-fi novel with a bizarre premise. WB elected to gamble on Bong’s instincts paying off, even if Mickey 17 has no obvious hook.

Bong’s mainstream reputation is not such that audiences will necessarily flock to see a film with his name on it, and Pattinson arguably is not a big enough actor to open a movie. With everything it has going against it, there’s a good chance Mickey 17 will disappoint at the box office, but moviegoers will have the final say on that.

Source: Mark Ruffalo/Bluesky