Mickey 17‘s poor screen tests resulted in an alternate cut made by Warner Bros., as a new report has revealed Bong Joon Ho’s reaction to the decision. Reviews for Mickey 17 have been generally positive, praising Bong’s big-budget sci-fi movie and the creative direction for both its story and characters. However, the $118 million movie only made $53.3 million in its opening weekend, a concerning number for a big-budget film that needs to make more in order to break even. While audiences also praise the film, it’s not getting as much support as it needs based on its reported budget.

Now, a report from Puck has been released about Warner Bros. studio chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy’s high spending on new projects. It was revealed Mickey 17 scored poorly at test screenings, something Bong didn’t pay much attention to due to a similar reaction to his previous film, Parasite, having similar reactions. An alternate cut of the movie was created that scored 10 points higher with test audiences, but the director’s vision ended up being the one that was released in theaters.

The report also indicates Mickey 17‘s $118 million budget was approved of by former studio chief Toby Emmerich, but that De Luca and Abdy’s involvement caused that budget to increase. It also offers insider speculation that Bong’s newest movie could lose $100 million for the studio by the end of its theatrical run. This, in turn, might be a bad sign for Warner Bros.’ upcoming big-budget theatrical releases.

What Mickey 17’s Alternate Cut Says About Warner Bros.’ Release Of The Movie

Would A Different Cut Have Saved The Film’s Box Office?

The report confirms a different cut of Bong’s sci-fi movie exists, one that scored better with audiences but ultimately didn’t come out in theaters. Instead, Warner Bros. allowed for the director’s vision to take precedence, despite the money they may have lost at the box office because of their decision. While big names in the cast of Mickey 17, like Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, and Mark Ruffalo, likely helped draw viewers in, its box office performance does bring up questions about what was different in the movie’s alternate cut, and if that really would’ve helped its theatrical performance.

The film’s performance could set a worrying trend for the studio, especially given the other risky projects they have on the docket in 2025. This includes April’s A Minecraft Movie, which had an initially negative reaction online based on its first trailer. Another big risk will be James Gunn’s DCU, with his upcoming Superman movie featuring a mulтιтude of other DC heroes arriving in theaters this July. While Mickey 17 could be an outlier because it’s not attached to any big-name franchises, it does reflect the studio’s trend of losing money on big-budget projects.

Our Take On Mickey 17’s Alternate Cut By Warner Bros.

The Film Was A Risk They Decided To Take

Because the alternate cut of Mickey 17 didn’t make it into theaters, it appeared the studio was willing to listen to Bong and preserve his vision for the movie. Since it’s unclear what would have made this version different, it’s possible the big-budget risk was always going to perform lower than hoped for. This may also impact Warner Bros.’ decisions on high-budget, independent projects moving forward, depending on how well their future releases do against established franchise films.

Source: Puck