Yesterday was a difficult day. A disappointing day. A day where millions of people’s dreams were crushed, replaced by a mounting sense of dread and an overwhelming urge to ask, simply, “Why? Why? WHY?!” After months of nervous anticipation, we had dared to believe it was finally happening, only to have hope snatched at the last second by an inexplicable twist of fate. We are of course referring to the profoundly dismaying announcement last night that Bong Joon Ho’s Robert Pattinson starring sci-fi joint Mickey 17 has been delayed yet again. (What else could we have been talking about?)
Per Deadline‘s reporting, director Bong’s take on Edward Ashton’s book Mickey7 has been bumped from its planned 31 January, 2025 release date and is now slated to launch in cinemas worldwide on 18 April, where it will occupy all available IMAX screens. This is now the movie’s second delay, with the Parasite filmmaker’s reprinted R-Pattz film having previously been set for a 29 March, 2024 launch. However, despite the fact it’ll have been over a year since Mickey 17 was meant to hit our screens before we finally get to see it, there is method in the slate-shuffling madness. The move comes in the wake of Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael being pushed from 18 April to 13 October next year at Lionsgate, opening up a window for Warner Bros.’ starry sci-fi film to go from new year screen-warmer to fully fledged Easter blockbuster.
“When the 18 April date became available, we quickly moved to secure it for Mikey 17,” said a Warner Bros. spokesperson in response to the news. “We’re thrilled with the new date, and very happy the film will be available to audiences in IMAX.” After so long waiting in feverish anticipation to see what Joon Ho, Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie and co have been cooking up together — and to hear Pattinson’s Ren & Stimpy inspired voice in full flow — we guess we can just about hold out a few more months for that sweet, sweet next Bong hit.