Lead star Robert Pattinson to kick off global press tour in Seoul on Jan. 20
Bong Joon-ho's highly anticipated sci-fi adventure "Mickey 17" is set to premiere in Korea on Feb. 28, a week ahead of its global release, Warner Bros. Korea announced Friday. The $150 million blockbuster marks Bong's first directorial project since his Oscar-winning masterpiece, "Parasite."
Adding to the buzz, lead star Robert Pattinson will visit Seoul on Jan. 20 for the first major promotional event for the film. The distributor confirmed that Pattison will join Bong for an exclusive footage screening and press conference at CGV Yongsan in Seoul, launching the film's worldwide marketing campaign in the director's home turf.
The adaptation of Edward Ashton's 2022 novel "Mickey7" features Pattinson in a dual role as an "expendable" space colonist – a disposable worker who regenerates after death. The plot takes an interesting turn when one of his supposedly dead versions turns up alive.
"Mickey 17" assembles a star-studded cast including Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo. Industry experts suggest that having the world premiere in Korea speaks to Warner Bros.' confidence in the project and respect for Bong's cultural impact following "Parasite's" historic Academy Awards success.
The film represents Bong's most ambitious undertaking yet, with a budget rivaling Christopher Nolan's 2014 space epic "Interstellar." It also marks his fourth venture into sci-fi genre, following "Snowpiercer" and "Okja," though the director has become more widely recognized for his down-to-earth social commentary after "Parasite."
Korean audiences will have the first look at how Bong merges his trademark genre-bending flair with a larger canvas, before the film rolls out globally on March 7.
Sources close to the production revealed that Pattinson personally requested to launch the press tour in Seoul, expressing a strong desire to connect with fans in Bong's home country.
The Jan. 20 event will mark the former "Twilight" franchise star's first ever promotional tour stop in South Korea.
