Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi film tops North American box office

By Evelyn Nam Posted : March 10, 2025, 14:48 Updated : March 10, 2025, 14:51
Director Bong Jong-ho pose for a photo with the cast of his film "Mickey 17" at a press event in Seoul on Feb. 20, 2025. From left, Bong, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, producer Choi Doo-ho. Yonhap
SEOUL, March 10 (AJP) - Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Mickey 17" topped the North American box office in its opening week, making him the first South Korean filmmaker to achieve such a feat.

According to tracker Box Office Mojo, the sci-fi film, released last Friday, earned an estimated US$19.1 million in its first three days at more than 3,800 theaters across North America.

Despite a strong start, ticket sales fell short of industry projections, as it remains to be seen whether the much-hyped, big-budget film with an estimated production cost of $118 million will break even. Furthermore, given millions spent on marketing and promotion, achieving profitability seems out of reach for now.

The adaptation of the 2022 novel by Edward Ashton is set in a futuristic world where human clones, called "Expendables," are dispatched to colonize an icy planet. 

"Mickey 17" starring Hollywood stars like Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, and Robert Pattinson, is Bong's third English-language film, after his previous post-apocalyptic hit "Snowpiercer" (2013) and Netflix-produced CGI spectacular "Okja" (2017).

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