Box Office Misfire: Big-Budget ‘Mickey 17’ Stumbles With $24 Million Overseas, $53 Million Globally

by

Wishing Warner Bros. had the ability to produce wealth like scientists recreate Robert Pattinson’s character in “Mickey 17.” This quirky sci-fi film grossed $24 million abroad and over $50 million worldwide, a solid beginning for an original movie considering today’s cinema market. Unfortunately, its production costs were too high to make a profit during this era.

In the first week of March, I found myself following the global success of the R-rated movie, “Parasite,” directed by the esteemed Bong Joon Ho and featuring Robert Pattinson. This film had its premiere in Korea, the director’s homeland, on February 28, and since then, it has raked in an impressive $34.2 million overseas and $53.3 million worldwide.

The ticket sales figures include a relatively modest $19.1 million debut in North America. As a follower of the movie’s progress, I can attest to its growing popularity across different regions.

Bong Tae-jun, famed director of the Oscar-winning “Parasite” and “Snowpiercer”, and Robert Pattinson, who has juggled blockbuster series like “Twilight”, “Harry Potter” and the upcoming “The Batman” with a few independent films, have achieved a successful start for their new film “Mickey 17”. This sci-fi movie about a disposable worker whose body can regenerate for scientific purposes, opened above $50 million at the box office, an impressive feat.

The conundrum lies in the finances of “Mickey 17.” Warner Bros. invested a considerable amount, approximately $118 million for production (which isn’t cheap even for replicating Robert Pattinson) and an additional $80 million on marketing. If the film had cost around $50 million, as it would for an R-rated social satire with an art house feel, it would be doing well at this stage in its cinematic release. However, due to its financial structure, “Mickey 17” needs to generate anywhere from $275 million to $300 million worldwide during its theatrical run just to break even, according to industry insiders familiar with comparable productions.

Movie titled “Mickey 17” has been released in most significant movie markets worldwide. Countries that have generated the highest revenue are Korea, earning $14.6 million after two weekends, France with an initial take of $2.9 million, and the United Kingdom bringing in $2.7 million at launch. Unfortunately, the film didn’t perform well in China, earning only $1.3 million during its debut. Approximately 47% of opening weekend ticket sales came from Imax, Dolby, and other premium large format screens.

Based on Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7,” the movie revolves around Pattinson portraying a disposable laborer who can be recreated, enabling him to embody various iterations of the same character. He is dispatched on a human mission to establish a colony on the harsh frozen planet named Niflheim, where he perishes repeatedly. A twist occurs when one Mickey is believed dead, and a replicated duplicate attempts to assume his identity. The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Critical reception has been somewhat divided, with the film earning a “B” on CinemaScore and 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In other parts of the world, Disney Marvel’s film “Captain America: Brave New World” earned an additional $9.2 million from 52 different countries. By the end of the weekend, the superhero sequel will have made $194.2 million in the U.S. and a total of $370.8 million worldwide. This is a good amount, but due to its high production cost (over $180 million) and promotional expenses (around $100 million for global audiences), it may find it challenging to become profitable.

Read More

2025-03-09 22:30