If only Warner Bros. could reprint money in the way that scientists reprint Robert Pattinson’s body in “Mickey 17.” The goofy sci-fi comedy ignited to $24 million overseas and more than $50 million globally, a decent start for an original film in the current theatrical landscape. It just cost way too much to ever turn a profit in this lifetime.
The R-rated movie, directed by Bong Joon Ho and starring Robert Pattinson, opened on Feb. 28 in Korea (Bong’s home country) and has since grossed $34.2 million overseas and $53.3 million globally. Those ticket sales include a muted $19.1 million debut in North America.
Credit to Bong, known for acclaimed films like best picture winner “Parasite” and “Snowpiercer,” and Pattinson, the A-lister who has navigated blockbuster franchises like “Twilight,” “Harry Potter” and “The Batman” in between a smattering of indies, for opening “Mickey 17” above $50 million. It’s an impressive launch for a fresh, offbeat space odyssey about a disposable employee whose body is able to regenerate for science.
Here’s the problem: Warner Bros. granted a head-scratching $118 million to spend on production (replicating Pattinson doesn’t come cheap!) and another $80 million on marketing. Had “Mickey 17” cost, say, $50 million — not nothing for an R-rated social satire with an arthouse sheen — the film would be well positioned at this point in its theatrical run. Yet given the movie’s economics, “Mickey 17” needs to earn around $275 million to $300 million globally to get into the black during its big screen run, according to rival executives with knowledge of similar productions.
“Mickey 17” has touched down in nearly every major theatrical market. Top-earning territories include Korea with $14.6 million after two weekends of release, followed by France with $2.9 million to start and the United Kingdom with $2.7 million to start. The film flopped in China with $1.3 million in its debut. Imax, Dolby and other premium large formats accounted for 47% of opening weekend ticket sales.
Adapted from Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7,” the film follows Pattinson as an expendable worker who is able to be reprinted (allowing the actor to play multiple versions of the same character). He’s sent on a human expedition to colonize the inhospitable ice world known as Niflheim, where he dies over and over and over again. Complications arise when one of the Mickeys is presumed dead and a replacement duplicate tries to take his place. Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo round out the cast. Audience scores and reviews have been mixed with a “B” grade on CinemaScore and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Elsewhere at the international box office, Disney Marvel’s adventure “Captain America: Brave New World” added $9.2 million from 52 territories. The superhero sequel will end the weekend with $194.2 million domestically and $370.8 million worldwide, a solid tally except — like “Mickey 17” — its outsized price tag will make it difficult to forge a path to profitability. The tentpole cost more than $180 million to produce and roughly $100 million to promote to global audiences.
