Mickey 17 looks like it has everything to become a surefire hit, and actor Robert Pattinson has officially confirmed that his greatest source of inspiration was anime. The latest film from the Oscar-winning director of Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, is about to finally release after numerous delays. Now, the cast and crew of the upcoming sci-fi film are beginning to make the circuit to promote the movie following some promising early reviews. However, one detail from the film’s star hints that this will be a movie for anime fans to check out.

According to Robert Pattinson in a clip shared on Letterboxd’s YouTube channel, he delves into his inspirations when playing Mickey’s various clones. During the interview, he states that anime actually had a huge factor in his performance, with most of his energy going into Mickey 18:

“I was definitely getting some references from anime… just in the kind of discordant mood changes. Especially for Mickey 18, you just go from zero to 100 incredibly quickly. I always really like that in anime – when you just suddenly have someone entirely static and suddenly they’re furious out of nowhere. I think I was trying to do some kind of emulation of that.“

Whether Pattinson will apply some of these influences to the other Mickey clones is yet to be seen. However, highlighting Mickey 18 as the main version of his character that he threw his anime performance into gives fans something to look forward to when they see the film in theaters.

Robert Pattinson’s Performance in Mickey 17 Proves How Anime Is No Longer a Niche Market

Anime Is Officially an International Sensation

As popular as anime is today, it’s easy to forget that in the 20th century, the medium wasn’t nearly as followed outside Japan as it is today. Before the anime boom in the US during the 1990s, very few international markets would pay any mind to the medium. However, with the success of television blocks like Toonami, this led to a major revolution that made anime a huge hit in other countries as new IPs were introduced to the world. Fast-forward to 2025, and Robert Pattinson’s remarks about the inspirations for his role ultimately prove one thing: anime is officially a mainstream sensation worldwide.

Of course, this isn’t to say that this is the first major milestone for the medium when it comes to live-action inspirations. There have been countless nods to popular anime over the years, such as the famous motorcycle slide from Akira appearing in countless films and series, as well as Michael B. Jordan confirming Creed III had roots in anime. Robert Pattinson has only solidified that the medium is as influential to storytelling as many famous works from the past because of its unique way of expressing emotions.

How Will an Exaggerated Anime Performance Work in Live Action?

If Anyone Can Make It Happen, It’s Bong Joon-ho and Robert Pattinson

The main question behind Pattinson’s performance in Mickey 17 is how he will make an anime-like performance work in live-action. After all, anime is known for being exaggerated, and this has even been toned down in some adaptations, like One Piece, to work in live action. However, it seems like Robert Pattinson and Bong Joon-ho know what they’re doing based on positive early word-of-mouth. The biggest indicator is that the plot and tone of the film based on its trailers make it a perfect environment for an anime performance to thrive. Couple that with тιԍнт performances and a good director, and it’s entirely possible to make these influences flow seamlessly into the narrative.

Audiences will be able to see how Pattinson’s performance ties into anime influences when Mickey 17 officially hits theaters on March 7th, 2025. There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to this new film by Bong Joon-ho. It has a unique concept and seems like it will be a fun time at the movies. However, Robert Pattinson‘s confirmation that anime influenced his role has made Mickey 17 a must-watch for any anime fan.

See Mickey 17 in theaters starting March 7th, 2025

Source: Letterboxd