"My equivalent of Mickey's life" — Robert Pattinson opens up about his role in Mickey 17 with Bong Joon-Ho

In a March 4, 2025, Epic Conversation episode by GQ, Robert Pattinson and director Bong Joon-ho discussed their upcoming sci-fi film Mickey 17, set for a U.S. release on March 7, 2025. When asked about the most daunting movie genre, Pattinson admitted that musicals are his nightmare due to the constant dancing.

However, he quickly added a twist, where Mickey 17, the very movie they were discussing, includes a dancing scene that gave him a mental breakdown.

Pattinson explained that the dancing scene in Mickey 17 was a challenging experience for him, likening it to the constant struggles of his character, Mickey.

“In almost every movie, there's some moment where they're like, 'Okay, now here's the dancing scene,' except for Mickey. The amount of times, and my equivalent of Mickey's life where you're just like a living hell every day,” Pattinson shared.

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Pattinson on dancing and mental breakdown in Mickey 17

The upcoming sci-fi film is directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Robert Pattinson (Image via YouTube/Warner Bros.)

Robert Pattinson recently opened up about the challenges of dancing in films during a conversation with director Bong Joon-ho. In their upcoming movie, Mickey 17, Pattinson is required to perform a dance scene, something he finds particularly difficult.

Pattinson shared that performing dance scenes with the cast feels like a mental breakdown for him.

The actor also spoke about an upcoming project with director Lynne Ramsay and actress Jennifer Lawrence, which also includes a dance scene.

“I was like, ‘I’m going to have a mental breakdown when this happens. We need to either choreograph it or cut it,’” he recalled. “And they’re like, ‘No, just dance, stop being a little freak.’”

While Lawrence handled the choreography with ease, Pattinson admitted that he struggled through it, joking that he was so sweaty during the scene that he exaggerated saying the inside of his trousers were drenched in sweat.

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Mickey 17 director and star on their guilty pleasure movies

Moët And Chandon At The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards - Backstage - Source: Getty

After Robert Pattinson opened up about his challenges in dance scenes, which led to his mental breakdown on set, the conversation shifted to their guilty pleasure films.

When Pattinson asked Bong Joon-ho about his guilty pleasure movies, the director revealed that one of them was Pitch Black, a 2000 sci-fi action-horror film directed by David Twohy and starring Vin Diesel.

Bong also mentioned Fantastic Mr. Fox, directed by Wes Anderson and starring George Clooney, highlighting the calming effect the shade of yellow in the film has on him.

Pattinson, in turn, shared that for him, Braveheart, directed by and starring Mel Gibson, is a favorite, though he noted it’s more of a birthday tradition than a true guilty pleasure.

Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical war drama starring Mel Gibson about the Scottish warrior William Wallace.

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What is Mickey 17 about and where to watch it

Mickey 17 is a sci-fi film directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Robert Pattinson in the lead role. The movie is based on the book Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. Set shortly, the story follows Mickey, a worker on a distant planet who is sent on dangerous missions.

As part of a colonization effort, Mickey is repeatedly "rebooted" after each mission, where his consciousness is transferred to a new clone of himself, each time facing more risks.

The film explores themes of survival, identity, and the ethical implications of human cloning.

Mickey 17 is set to be released in theaters in the U.S. on March 7, 2025. After its theatrical run, it will likely be available on streaming platforms, although exact details are yet to be confirmed.

Although no official announcement has been made yet, viewers can expect Mickey 17 to become available on major streaming platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max or Amazon Prime following its theatrical release.