Bong Joon-ho's next film 'Mickey 17' is postponed: Reports

American entertainment news outlet Variety reported that production company Warner Bros. has shelved “Mickey 17” for the time being. It was initially slated to hit theaters in March this year.

Director Bong Joon-ho waves to cheering crowds after arriving back in Korea after attending the 92nd Academy Awards where his film ″Parasite″ (2019) won four Oscars, at the Incheon International Airport on Feb. 16, 2020. [NEWS1]

The release date of director Bong Joon-ho’s next project “Mickey 17” has been postponed for the time being, according to reports Wednesday.

American entertainment news outlet Variety reported that production company Warner Bros. has shelved “Mickey 17.” It was initially slated to hit theaters in March this year.

The decision to delay the release of the Oscar-winning director’s first film since “Parasite” (2019) was to allow more time to add the finishing touches to “Mickey 17.” Production of the film had been affected by last year’s Hollywood strike (known as the SAG-AFTRA strike) and other production shifts, Variety reported.

Instead of “Mickey 17,” Warner Bros. is moving up the release date of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” from April 12 to March 29.

Adapted from Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel “Mickey7,” “Mickey 17” is a science-fiction film written, directed and co-produced by Bong. Actors Robert Pattinson, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo star as the main cast in the story about a human expedition to colonize an ice-world planet.

Bong’s “Parasite” won four Oscars at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020 along with the Palme d’Or, the top prize, at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and numerous other accolades including at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. The film received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and grossed a worldwide total of $258.7 million.

Bong is one of Korea’s most prominent directors and has achieved critical and commercial success with films such as the crime thriller “Memories of Murder” (2003), monster film “The Host” (2006), sci-fi action “Snowpiercer” (2013) and more.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]