Is Mickey 17 based on a book? Looking at the original source material

The first and highly anticipated trailer for Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 finally graced online and showcased Robert Pattinson dying again and again. The film sees the actor play the role of Mickey, who signs up to be a disposable employee and is sent on expeditions. However, when he dies, his body is replaced with an exact copy of him.

Interestingly enough, Bong Joon-ho and Robert Pattinson's Mickey 17 is also the adaptation of a sci-fi novel by Edward Ashton called Mickey7. The main difference between the two titles is numerical. It seems the decision may have been made for the film as Mickey dies around six times in the book, while in the film, he will have about 10 more deaths.

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Exploring the novel Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 is based on

The upcoming film Mickey 17 is an adaptation of Edward Ashton's novel Mickey7. It is a sci-fi story that sees a man named Mickey Barnes try to leave Earth in the hopes of a better life. To do so, he signs himself up as an expendable and is sent out on an expedition. However, every time he dies, he is replaced by his clone, who keeps all of his memories intact.

On an expedition to colonize the ice planet Nilfheim, Mickey7 (as he has already died six times in the past) is presumed dead; however, he survives the ordeal. Upon returning to base, he realizes that he has been replaced by a clone of his, Mickey8, and the idea of duplicates is loathed in this world as they are then sent to die for more protein.

This leads to a fight for survival for Mickey, as he must prevent himself from dying for good. As per Macmillan Publishers, the official synopsis for Mickey7 reads as:

"Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey."

It continues:

"After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it."

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Why did the film change its title from Mickey7 to Mickey 17?

Talking about the film at CinemaCon on April 9, 2024, Bong Joon-ho and Robert Pattinson took to the stage to debut the first trailer for Mickey 17 behind closed doors. There, the director revealed why the film changed its title from Mickey7, and Bong Joon-ho simply said that he killed Robert Pattinson's character "10 times more."

So, when it comes to the movie, fans can certainly expect to see Robert Pattinson die around 16 times in the upcoming sci-fi film. The cast list of the movie features Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, Naomi Ackie as Nasha Adjaya, Steven Yeun as Berto, Toni Collette as Gwen Johansen, Mark Ruffalo as Hieronymous Marshall, and more.

The film is directed by Bong Joon-ho, with the script being written by him too. Mickey 17 was originally scheduled to be released this year but was pushed back to next year. It is set to be released in theatres on January 31, 2025.