Filming has officially begun in the UK for Bong Joon-Ho’s newest science fiction film, according to a recent report from KFTV. The untitled film, based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7 which was published in February, will star Robert Pattinson in the lead role.
Alongside Pattinson, it was previously reported that the film will also star Toni Collette widely known for her role in Hereditary, and Mark Ruffalo best known for his role as Bruce Banner and The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The cast of the film will also feature Steven Yeun, fresh off of his appearance in Jordan Peele’s Nope, and Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker). It remains unknown what roles the cast of the film will play.
Ashton’s novel, which Bong’s screenplay adapts, focuses on a Mickey7, an expendable who is sent on a dangerous mission to colonize Niflheim, an ice world. As a disposable employee that embarks on the deadly journey, Mickey7 is capable of regeneration after death with his memories still intact. After six deaths, the seventh iteration eventually learns about the terms of his deal. It remains unknown how closely the upcoming film will follow the original novel, but with a unique and original premise, it will be interesting to see the filmmaker will bring his own touch to such a high-concept storyline.
Bong previously achieved global critical acclaim with the release of his black-comedy thriller Parasite in 2019 which managed to gain a 99% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 90% audience rating. The acclaim of Parasite would lead to the film winning the Academy Award for Best Picture at the Oscars alongside Best Achievement in Directing, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. Other films the filmmaker has directed include Okja, Snowpiercer, and The Host, all of which received raving critical reviews. Now with a new film from Bong on the way, fans of the acclaimed filmmaker have an upcoming project to look forward to when it eventually releases some time in the near future.
Bong pens the script for the upcoming film, and produces under his Offscreen banner with Kate Street Pictures’ Dooho Choi co-producing alongside Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B. With filming for the project still underway, no release date has been set yet.
Check out the official trailer for Bong’s Academy Award-winning film, Parasite, below:
