Mickey 17 expected to underperform despite critical acclaim 

Mickey 17 was reportedly one of the most anticipated films of 2025, mainly because of Bong Joon-ho. The South Korean filmmaker won an Oscar for his previous work, Parasite, and was returning to the director's chair after nearly five years.

The science fiction comedy film was released on February 28, 2025, by Warner Bros. Pictures and was made on a budget of $118 million. Despite all the critical acclaim and hype, it has not performed well at the box office.

Here's the official synopsis:

Mickey 17, known as an "expendable," goes on a dangerous journey to colonize an ice planet.

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Mickey 17 to underperform at the box office

Variety recently reported that Mickey 17 is not going to be a profitable venture for Warner Bros. Pictures. The studio is expected to lose around $75 million to $80 million during the film's entire theatrical run. This comes despite the positive response the Bong Joon-ho directorial has been receiving.

So far, the film has managed to gross $92.2 million globally at the box office, including $35.7 million from the domestic market. The projected total collection of the film was initially estimated at $175 million (including international earnings), but this figure has now been adjusted to $143 million.

The report states that Mickey 17 had a production budget of around $118 million, with the studio spending an additional $80 million on marketing. Warner Bros' recent release, The Alto Knights, is also expected to underperform at the box office.

The film is an adaptation of Mickey7, a 2022 novel penned by Edward Ashton. Apart from directing and writing the film, Joon-ho also co-produced it with Dede Gardner, Dooho Choi, and Jeremy Kleiner. The film had its world premiere at the 75th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival and was released in both the US and South Korea on February 28, 2025.

Joon-ho's previous film, Parasite, became the first non-English film to win a Best Picture Oscar.

In an interview with The Atlantic, Joon-ho spoke about the protagonist of his film and said:

“He’s like the powerless-underdog character type that I always love. Things don’t work out for him. He doesn’t get help from society or the country. He’s kind of this loser-type protagonist.”

He added,

"This film feels like a story that takes place in a back alleyway, filled with pathetic human beings.”

Mickey 17 is playing in theatres.

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