
South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho has been invited to the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, which takes place in mid-February.
According to festival organizers, "Mickey 17" will be featured in the Special Gala section, traditionally known for showcasing popular genre films. At the 74th Berlinale, the Korean crime film "The Roundup: Punishment" was screened in the same section.
The upcoming "Mickey 17" is a sci-fi film adapted from the novel "Mickey 7" by American author Edward Ashton. It stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey, a cloned space explorer tasked with undertaking perilous missions on an ice-covered planet. With a cast that includes Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo, the story follows Mickey through near-death experiences. When he is presumed dead on the 17th mission, a new iteration, "Mickey 18," is created, setting off a chain of unpredictable events.
"Mickey 17" marks Bong Joon-ho's first directorial work since the Oscar-winning "Parasite," which earned the Palme d'Or, the event's highest honor, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019.
Berlin International Film Festival is considered one of world's most highly regarded film festivals, together with Cannes and the Venice Film Festival.
The 75th Berlinale will run from Feb. 13 to 23, with the full program and contenders for the Golden Bear, the event's highest honor, set to be announced Tuesday.