Mickey 17: Robert Pattinson’s sci-fi stumbles at the US box office amid new releases

Mickey 17 is having a tough time in its second weekend at the US box office amid new theatrical releases like Novocaine and Black Bag. The sci-fi black comedy by Bong Joon-ho was made on a nearly $118 million budget. With the marketing costs, $198 million was reportedly spent on the film. Considering the current footfall, the film will find it hard to cross the $240 million mark to break even in the global market.

The Robert Pattinson starrer premiered at the Berlinale ahead of its theatrical release in South Korea. A week later, it debuted at US theaters and took the top spot with $19 million against the MCU's tentpole project. However, per Deadline, it grossed nearly $7.5 million amid the increased competition of the Jack Quaid-led actioner and Steven Soderbergh's spy thriller. This marks a nearly 60% drop for Mickey 17, making it harder to regain momentum in the US market.

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Mickey 17: Robert Pattinson starrer is trailing behind in the US market

Mickey 17, a major Hollywood release from Warner Bros. Pictures, is heading to a digital release roughly within three weeks of its theatrical release. It might have disappointed audiences who champion the longevity of theatrical releases. However, the decision may have been in the wake of the film's box office performance.

Per Variety, the sci-fi film has earned over $90.5 million worldwide and is performing well in foreign territories. However, it may not be enough for the film to recover its production costs of $118 million. The film did not receive major competition upon its release in the States. However, two thrillers entered the market in its second week, making it more difficult to pull the audiences.

Next week, Bong Joon-ho's film will be up against Disney's live-action remake of Snow White. The film has been at a point of controversy, especially in the recent weeks. However, the Rachel Zegler starrer still appears to be a safer bet to draw audiences across the US theaters.

It presents a known fairy tale and appears to be family-friendly. Considering the box-office success of Mufasa: The Lion King (another live-action remake), Snow White will most likely give tough competition to other movies in the theaters.

Mickey 17 may not sustain itself against its competitors. It's an R-rated film about science fiction themes that are not part of an established franchise and contains absurdist, gallows humor. In the US markets, it was sold as the return of the Parasite director, which may not have been enough to intrigue the local audiences.

So, while Mickey 17 has crossed the box-office collection of Bong Joon-ho's past English-language release Snowpiercer, it is not enough to get the expected returns.