Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi gamble heads to streaming in North American markets after falling short of commercial expectations
Director Bong Joon-ho's big-budget sci-fi venture "Mickey 17" officially crossed the 3 million admissions mark in Korea Tuesday, a milestone that comes as little consolation for a production struggling to meet financial expectations.
According to the latest data from the Korean Film Council, the film reached 3,000,592 viewers after 39 days in theaters as of Tuesday. Daily ticket sales have dwindled to around 2,200, suggesting the film essentially limped across the threshold.
The worldwide box office performance paints an even more dismal picture. In North America, where the film opened March 7, "Mickey 17" has pulled in just $44.7 million, with global earnings totaling $122.4 million, according to Box Office Mojo — far short of its estimated $300 million breakeven point.
Industry analysts expect the film to top out at the box office at approximately $143 million, potentially leading to losses of $75-80 million, according to Variety.
Following lackluster ticket sales, the film's distributor Warner Bros. announced earlier this month that the film will be released on digital streaming platforms via premium video on demand starting Tuesday, less than a month after its theatrical debut. In North America, it will appear on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango.
While most films these days don't achieve profitability solely through theatrical release — typically relying on TV licensing and streaming deals to reach the black — "Mickey 17" faces an uphill battle as these downstream agreements are often influenced by initial box office performance.
Bong has typically found box office success on home turf. Since his 2003 breakout hit "Memories of Murder," which drew 5.26 million viewers here, the director has carved out a strong commercial track record in Korea.
"The Host" (2006) cemented Bong's commercial appeal with over 13 million admissions, earning a permanent spot among Korea's top 10 highest-grossing films. "Snowpiercer" (2013) continued the trend with 9.35 million Korean viewers, while his Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019) attracted over 10 million admissions domestically and went on to gross $258.1 million worldwide.
"Mickey 17" stars Robert Pattinson as a disposable worker (or "expendable") who is reprinted. The narrative follows his 17th incarnation as he faces death, only for his employers to print "Mickey 18," believing him to be dead. The film also features Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo.
The film's reception has generally been positive in Korea, where it scored 91 percent on multiplex chain CGV's website, while users on the local search engine Naver rated it 8.23 out of 10.
Overseas, US-based review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes shows a 77 percent critics' score and 73 percent from verified viewers.
moonkihoon@heraldcorp.com
