Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho, who made awards history with his genre-bending thriller “Parasite,” is making his next feature film at Warner Bros.
Robert Pattinson, who will soon appear as the Caped Crusader in “The Batman,” is expected to star in the science-fiction story, an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s upcoming novel “Mickey7.”
According to the book’s publisher St. Martin Press, the high-concept cerebral thriller is best described as “The Martian” meets “Dark Matter.” The tale is about an “expendable” — a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Nifheim — who refuses to let his replacement clone, dubbed Mickey 8, take his place.
In an early review, author Jason Pargin called the novel “a unique blend of thought-provoking sci-fi concepts, farcical relationship drama and exotic body humor.”
“Edward Ashton keeps it all grounded via a protagonist who experiences the wonders of interstellar travel and alien contact while literally having the worst job in the universe,” Pargin wrote. “The result is alternately amusing, intriguing and horrifying, with each chapter seeming to engage a different part of your brain.”
Plot details for the movie have not been confirmed, and it’s not clear how closely Bong plans to stick to the source material. Ashton’s book is scheduled to publish in February 2022.
The new movie marks Bong’s second deal with WarnerMedia in recent months following an HBO limited series based on “Parasite,” which is currently in the works with Adam McKay.
The still-untitled movie is Bong’s first film since “Parasite,” which became the highest-grossing South Korean film in history, as well as the first non-English language movie to win best picture at the Oscars. Out of its six Academy Award nominations, the twisted black comedy took home prizes for original screenplay, director and international feature. Before “Parasite” became a sensation, Bong was known for acclaimed films like “Snowpiercer,” “The Host,” “Okja” and “Barking Dogs Never Bite.”
Bong will also produce the upcoming film through his company Offscreen, along with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner of Plan B and Dooho Choi of Kate Street Pictures. Peter Dodd will oversee on behalf of the studio.
Deadline Hollywood first reported the news.