Billboard Women in Music 2025
EXCLUSIVE: After taking nearly two years to figure out his next project following his Oscar sweep in 2020 with Parasite, director Bong Joon Ho looks to have found his next film and is taking a certain Caped Crusader along for the ride. Sources tell Deadline that Bong is in talks to write and direct an untitled film based on Edward Ashton’s upcoming novel Mickey7 for Warner Bros, and that The Batman star Robert Pattinson is in talks to star. Bong will also produce the untitled film for his production company Offscreen alongside Dooho Choi for Kate Street Picture Company and Plan B.
The book will be published in in the first quarter of 2022 by St. Martin, a Macmillan imprint. While the film will be inspired by the novel, sources say that given Bong’s past experiences with adaptations, his version might ultimately may be different from the novel’s. The novel’s story follows, Mickey7, is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it. Peter Dodd is overseeing for the studio.
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Following Parasite’s sweep of the Oscars including a Best Director and Best Picture victory, Bong has taken his time in figuring out his next steps. Towards the end of 2021, he was presented the manuscript for the unpublished book by Ashton, which immediately drew his interest. The Oscar winner became loosely attached to the project late last year and prior to the holiday break met with some of the town’s most promising stars as every A-lister in their 30s was chasing the role. It wasn’t long before Bong and execs were impressed with Pattinson following his meeting and felt he was perfect for the role, with an offer going out right before the new year.
The Warner Bros feature marks Bong’s second deal with WarnerMedia in recent months following an HBO limited series based on Parasite in the works with Bong executive producing alongside Adam McKay.
As for Pattinson, this would mark his first film he has signed onto since finishing production on the anticipated The Batman. Warner Bros has already shown how much it plans to stay in business with him by recently signing him to a first-look deal. The Batman bows on March 4.
Bong and Pattinson are both repped by WME. Pattinson also being repped by 3 Arts, Curtis Brown Group and attorney Robert Offer and Bong is also managed by Jerome Duboz.
this is about movies, acting, entertainment… not skin colour. don’t let politics ruin fun. this collaboration is going to be awesome.
Certainly not done that often (Moon). And this sounds distinctive with a different tratment of the subject.
1917 should have won best picture.
1917 was just a gimmick film. It was like watching a video game. The crew deserved awards for pulling it off, but Parasite was a vastly more complex story to tell and direct.
Boohoo.. ffs 1917 was another piece of boring WWII film.. no originality
Cool. Soooo it’s MOON (dir: Duncan Jones) in a new wrapper. Got it
This would have been a great opportunity to make a “bankable” Asian star Hollywood keeps saying doesn’t/can’t exist. Another opportunity that could have been life changing for a non-white actor wasted.
Saying an Asian director can only work with asian actors is racist.
White directors rarely if ever have Asian actors as leads.
Because people keep saying that’s wrong, example people hated it when Mulan live-action Director was white