How ‘Mickey 17’ Creates Life: The Mind-Blowing Science Behind the Human Printer!

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SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Mickey 17,” currently playing in theaters.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I eagerly anticipate the upcoming space odyssey in Bong Joon Ho’s film, “Mickey 17.” In this intriguing narrative, Robert Pattinson takes on the role of an Expendable – a unique individual selected for dangerous scientific experiments with potentially lethal consequences. Remarkably, after each perilous endeavor, he is resurrected through a remarkable human printer, retaining all his memories, as if he’s been cloned rather than killed.

Fiona Crombie, the production designer, revealed that she drew inspiration for the printer’s appearance from medical equipment and sophisticated looms. Despite being the most advanced component of the spaceship, her aim was to maintain a balance in the overall aesthetic of “Mickey 17” by incorporating recognizable references from our current world to emphasize the futuristic setting’s grounding in reality.

Crombie stated, ‘We draw inspiration from the world around us, considering what could be a real-life equivalent of this concept that we can expand upon and develop.’ He added, ‘There are many familiar aspects, but there are also some unknown elements we must consider.’

I find myself utterly captivated by the remarkable human-like printer. It’s a unique blend of real-world materials and innovative imagination, offering a glimpse into the hypothetical realm where machines might someday replicate humans. In an engaging conversation with EbMaster, Crombie delved into her perspective on this printer and subtle design hints that reveal the intricate process of bringing Robert Pattinson’s character, Mickey, to life each time.

The craftsmen named the machine’s exterior color “IBM Beige” as it was intended to resemble the traditional appearance of computers, according to Crombie. Its round design stemmed from the concept that there is a balance between the formality of a circle and the unruly shapes often found in ships. Crombie further explained, “We found intrigue in the notion that you could hardly ever traverse in a straight path within that spaceship. You’re constantly going up or down, around, or under. If the ship is always built around an engine or machinery running it, then the humans live around it.

The manufacturing process initiates by the cycler supplying raw material to a bioprinter, which is then used to generate Mickey. A series of intestine-like cables connected to the printer’s rear indicate this transfer of matter. As Crombie observed, “There was something captivating about witnessing thick ropes being woven together, similar to the kind of plastic rope you might find, where the stitching merges and all these needles form an intricate pattern to build a structure.”

In this rephrased version, I’ve tried to maintain the original meaning while using simpler language and clearer sentence structures.

Crombie mentioned, ‘It bears some resemblance to an MRI image, but what follows is a more natural, flowing motion.’

As a captivated observer, I’d like to share my understanding according to Crombie. The ring encircling the printer appears to hold tubes resembling syringes, which subsequently transfer the refined organic matter from the cycler post-processing. This organic matter is then delicately integrated within the structure, much like fine threads being carefully woven together.

While crafting the design, they pondered over the idea of a machine that could autonomously zero in and adjust similar to a camera lens. “Imagine you’re printing, it’s honing in on a specific body part, it would essentially glide and move towards that precise spot before readjusting again,” Crombie explained.

For Crombie, envisioning the concept of “sequential operations” was crucial in viewing the device as both functional yet susceptible to mistakes. He thought of it as something that might not always run smoothly, with occasional minor issues.

Crombie likened it to a real-life printer as the mechanism slowly emerged from the cylindrical casing in much the same way. Just like our bodies, he explained, it’s prone to paper jams; either ejected too swiftly or needing to be retracted.

The interior of the human printer in the movie stays a secret for most of the film, but towards the end during a disturbing scene, Ylfa (Toni Collette) witnesses Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) being printed. Ylfa peeks through a transparent window, which is the first and only time we see that part of the machine, revealing an incomplete body in progress. As Crombie explained, “You’re seeing it as if one end has already been constructed, but then nothing has been built after that point.

The graphics team installed a touchscreen by the machine for technicians to easily manage or observe the printing operation.

Just as ropes move objects into a human printer, similarly, cables connected to a hat on Mickey’s head transfer memory data. As for humans, researchers have considered using brain scanning techniques, but instead of wires emerging from skull caps, they found people wearing many tubes. (Crombie mentioned this.)

In the movie, Mickey’s memories are stored in a gadget resembling a brick and inserted into another system. Director Bong expressed a desire to see it work seamlessly. He suggested comparing it to a phone, a battery, or something similar, or even like walkie-talkies on set while they were charging, according to Crombie’s explanation.

To give the “whimsical” and “funny” brick the appearance of a functional gadget, Crombie’s team incorporated sensors into its workings. The brick’s handle is see-through, as Bong preferred items that were both noticeable and inconspicuous.

Or:

To make the “fanciful” and “humorous” brick appear like a real tool, Crombie’s team integrated sensors within its design. The brick’s handle is transparent to cater to Bong’s preference for items that were visible yet subtle.

Crombie pointed out that when crafting the human printer design, the artisans didn’t overly focus on providing precise scientific rationales for every visual detail. Instead, they chose to keep some aspects a mystery, believing that the interpretation should be left up to the viewer. In essence, Crombie expressed his fondness for the idea that people would be actively piecing things together themselves since it adds an element of fiction to the design.

“Mickey 17,” in general, is not fixated on explaining the technicalities of the space mission. According to Crombie, Bong was uninterested in the logic of gravity and who was flying the ship. “This is a sci-fi that has cables, where people make mistakes, and they’re just humans,” she said. Like any technology, the human printer relies on the people who operate it. A technician can trip over a wire, as Crombie remembers reading in the script, or forget to check in on Mickey. “Oh, we can see how things are plugged in, and they pop out, or it doesn’t quite work,” Crombie noted.

Not only the circular shape was featured on the human printer, but Crombie consistently incorporated this design element. For instance, it can be seen in the cycler’s structure, as well as the desk at the convention center where Mickey enrolls as an Expendable, where a circular motif is also present.

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2025-03-14 04:18