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Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 is moving to the Michael Jackson biopic's old release date, and IMAX could be part of the reason why

Does Parasite director Bong Joon-ho have another hit in store with the Robert Pattinson-starring Mickey 17? Warner Bros. seeems to be betting on the idea, shifting its release date schedule to make a better fit for an IMAX release

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Thu Nov 07 2024

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Let's get the bad news over with first: Mickey 17, the new project from heartthrob Robert Pattinson and MEGA heartthrob Bong Joon-ho, has been delayed again. Before yesterday, the release date had been set for January 31, 2025; now it'll be hitting theaters April 18. The good news, however, is that the Bong-hive will get to experience Mickey 17 in an even bigger way, as the new date allows for a previously impossible IMAX release.

The news comes from Variety's Katcy Stephan, who explains the shift beginning with the Michael Jackson biopic. Previously scheduled for a theatrical release on April 18, the musician's biopic (that stars MJ's real nephew Jaafar Jackson as the late popstar) would have tied up IMAX theaters that spring weekend. Now, however, distributors Lionsgate have decided the Jackson biopic will moonwalk into theaters October 3, 2025.

"When the April 18 date became available," said a Warner Bros. spokesperson unnamed in the article, "we quickly moved to secure it for ‘Mickey 17,' [...] We’re thrilled with the new date, and very happy the film will be available to audiences in IMAX."

What's perhaps most interesting to note here is the signal of faith this news implies that Warner Bros. has in this film. If you've read Popverse's explanation of the novel Mickey 17 is based on, you know that it's a spacefaring scifi epic, which does lend it self to IMAX territory. Still, the shift in release date proves that Warner Bros. has confidence the film won't just fit the IMAX format, but actually get people to buy IMAX tickets.

But hey, if there are two names in Hollywood right now that will get people to do just that, they could very well be Pattinson and Joon-ho. If nothing else, because they're both so damn dreamy.

Mickey 17 hits theaters (regular and IMAX!) April 18.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. As Popverse's Staff Writer, he criss-crosses the pop culture landscape bringing you the news and opinions about the big things (and the next big things). In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.