Anti-Capitalism ‘Mickey 17’ Set to Lose Millions at Box Office
'Parasite' director feels for marketers behind big-budget arthouse film
Studios shell out millions for director Bong Joon-ho to slam free markets.
The Oscar winner’s latest salvo is “Mickey 17.” Once again, Joon-ho skewers capitalism as he did with “The Host,” “Okja,” “Parasite” and “Snowpiercer.”
He’s like M. Night Shyamalan, but instead of twists his films are known for targeting private enterprise. His movies don’t always score at the box office, but studios are more than happy to write big checks for his visions.
This time, it’ll cost the studio in question plenty.
“Mickey 17” stars Robert Pattinson as a volunteer who risks his life for corporations to study the potential for life on other planets. His character dies and dies again, with his memory installed into each successive Mickey version printed into existence.
By all accounts it’s a withering attack on corporate greed and feckless politicians. The latter are brought to life by Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette.
Bong’s work is art house by design. His tales have a hit-or-miss track record at the box office, typically earning far more overseas.
- “The Host” ($2 million US/$87 global)
- “Snowpiercer” ($4.5 million US/$82 million global)
- “Okja” (Netflix release US/$2 million global)
- “Parasite” ($53 million/$208 million global)
Variety notes “Mickey 17” is off to a subdued start both here and overseas. Recouping the film’s massive investment.- a $118 million budget – seems all but impossible for Warner Bros.
It’s on track to open domestically with $18 million to $20 million this weekend and $20 million to $25 million internationally. That would put its global opening at $40 million to $45 million … it’ll need around $275 million to $300 million at the global box office to turn a profit, which will be a challenge.
Bong sympathizes with the colleagues who helped make his new film possible.
I feel bad for the producers and the marketing team for saying this — I know they have a very hard job. But once I find a particular story or character or situation fascinating, I just go ahead and I create a movie based on it. I really don’t think about the risks. Maybe I can’t.
Must be nice.
He’s shielded from the negative aspects of capitalism, at least for now. At some point his films will have to consistently recoup their investments or studios will stop handing him blank checks.
There’s another path forward for him and fellow storytellers.
Shrink your budgets. Learn from peers like Gareth Edwards and “Godzilla Minus One” director Takashi Yamazaki and learn how to do more with less.
It’s Capitalism 101, a lesson Bong will learn sooner or later. As well he should.
We need more storytellers who tell bold tales that eschew established IPs. Love or loathe Joon-ho’s anti-capitalist screeds, his films are anything but cookie-cutter fare.
Why is it that conservatives are afraid the revealing truth of the problems with capitalism and politics today? By your own statement, “…it’s a withering attack on corporate greed and feckless politicians.” Are you saying there is not an abundance of corporate greed taking advantage of workers domestic and overseas at all costs? Are you saying that are politicians are good? Sometimes the attacks are worthy attacks. I am an entrepreneur. I believe in our market; however, there is a lot. A whole lot that is wrong with the market and what is allowed to take place here in the USA. Those are facts. Both sides of political believes, libs and conservatives are guilty and if a movie points that out, “Why is that a bad thing?”
I remember Adam 12.
Did he get paid for his services? Did he charge money for tickets? Did he pay the crew and stage hands the absolute bare minimum allowed by law and collective bargaining? Did he get to choose how to use his resources with minimal government involvement? Did he seek a profit?
Uhhhhhhhhh…………Then he’s a capitalist.
Gareth Edwards The Creator and Godzilla Minus One are both much better films than Mickey 17… not even close. I thought Mark Ruffalos – Trump the Televangelist – was both moronic and dated. Was he supposed to be in an SNL skit? Just bad
“Variety notes “Mickey 17” is off to a subdued start both here and overseas. Recouping the film’s massive investment.- a $118 million budget – seems all but impossible for Warner Bros.”
This is why IDEOLOGY should be left out of “film reviews” whether it be the liberal reviewer upset at the paucity of transgenders in a hetero Rom-Com or YOU.. 118 million dollars is not a “massive investment” under any stretch of either of those words. This is your predisposition to defend capitalism regardless of whether the movie is good or bad.
The movie is expressly political, and it shouldn’t be controversial for a reviewer, who after all is paid to state his opinion, to give his reaction to its politics.
This site: https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/all/301
Says there have only been 394 films ever made—ever—with a larger budget. And the way you are talking about $118M, it’s not even close to a big budget movie. Yet only 59 films have had more than a $200M budget. Note that approximately 700,000 films have been made since the birth of cinema (obviously there are wide ranges of estimates and the selection criteria can dramatically affect the count). But even if we said there were only 10,000 movies ever made, say since 1970 (a lowball estimate), then this movie would be in the top 3.95%. Of course if we went with a wider timeframe and more liberal criteria to get 700K, then this film would be in the top 0.056% (fraction =‘0.000564).
Warner Bros has released 342 movies and only 56 of them had a larger budget, of which only 6 of them had a greater than $200M budget.
In any case, putting $118M together to do anything is impressive.
It’s not about capitalism. It is about cruelty. A shame some people think you can’t have one without the other, and yet history tends to confirm that this may be true. Mickey 17 is a great, funny film.
Did he get paid for his services? Did he charge money for tickets? Did he pay the crew, custodians, and stage hands the minimum required by law? Did he get to freely choose how to use available resources to create his product? Is he seeking a profit?
Uhhhhhhhh……Then he’s a capitalist. (And a delusional, myopic hypocrite.)
The Host was a good creature feature that focused more on pollution than the typical climate alarmist crap.
Snow Piercer had good acting and a nice 1984/class warfare angle that I didn’t mind. The show is a boring cop drama.
The other 2 look terrible to me.
Ooph! Curious to see your review for this movie. Are you watching it this weekend?
Just returning from vacation but I’ll try to catch up with it ASAP