On Sunday, George Miller and Bong Joon-ho hosted a “Furiosa” event in Korea.
Among the things they discussed was the status of “Mickey 17.” Bong curiously stated that the film completed post-production work in November 2023! Here’s what I don’t get. If what Bong said on Sunday is correct, and there’s no reason to doubt him, then why is “Mickey 17” being released in January 2025? A full 14 months after it was put in the can.
“Mickey 17” cost $150 million to produce. You don’t dump such a pricey project in January. Last week, Bong was at CinemaCon where he screened the first trailer for his much-delayed film. The reactions were positive on social media.
Robert Pattinson is said to be “doing this accent that's like Joe Pesci as Tweety Bird, or that incredible Funny or Die skit "Ryan Gosling's Acting Range,” according to journalist Matt Donnelly.
The trailer debut, a brilliant marketing strategy from Warner Bros, given that CinemaCon audiences practically eat up anything they’re fed, resulted in gushing praise on social media. However, straight shooters, like Jeff Sneider, didn’t take the bait. They said the film looked problematic.
Puck’s Matt Belloni, who also was at CinemaCon, agreed with Sneider’s sentiments. He called the trailer a “tonal mess.” Belloni added that Pattinson’s “annoying” voice was off-putting.
Variety echoed both Sneider and Belloni, also calling the film a “tonal mess” and critcizing Pattinson’s “unplaceable accent.”
Earlier in the year, Variety reported that, compared to some of their other 2023 titles, Warners were far “less pumped” by Bong’s film, which started production in summer 2022. There hasn’t been much promotional material for the film either, save for a measly teaser, and the above still. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if reshoots occurred on “Mickey 17.”