Robert Pattinson revealed at the world premiere of “Mickey 17” in London that “The Batman: Part II” will begin production at the end of this year. While speaking to Variety on the film’s red carpet at Leicester Square, he maintained confidentiality regarding plot details, saying, “I think at the end of the year? And I know what it’s about but I can’t tell anyone, but it’s like, it’s very cool. It’s very exciting.”
In the Academy Award-winning “Parasite,” director Bong Joon Ho’s latest film, Pattinson stars as Mickey Barnes, a future pastry chef involved in an “expendable” role on a space mission. His character’s job requires the ultimate commitment — to die repeatedly, undergoing a process of being “reprinted” after each death. The captivating narrative also unfolds a love story between Mickey and Nasha, played by Naomi Ackie, while exploring significant themes such as human identity, survival, and class disparity. This film is inspired by Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7,” yet it takes significant departures from the source material.
On the red carpet, Pattinson discussed the unique challenges of portraying dual roles as Mickey 17 and 18, stating, “You’re basically doing the same as you would do in front of a green screen… You’re kind of imagining the other character there, but you’re just hoping you did it right.”
Director Bong shared insights with Variety, expressing that while the film is a sci-fi spectacle filled with alien planets and creatures, the core focus on the love story between Mickey and Nasha posed a novel challenge for him. He remarked, “It’s a sci-fi film with alien planets and creatures, but the one thing that was really new to me was the love story between Mickey and Nasha, between Rob and Naomi. That was the biggest new challenge for me with this film.”
Bong further praised Pattinson’s performances, noting, “Rob plays Mickey 17 and 18, and especially with 18, just the explosive energy and the madness in his eyes, I can’t even like imitate that. Those eyes that he gave for his performance were quite surprising and so memorable.” Meanwhile, Ackie highlighted her contribution to the role through improvisation, which included ad-libbed lines to add humor to the scenes.
The film incorporates cutting-edge face-swapping technology paired with body doubles to portray multiple versions of Pattinson’s character effectively. Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo depict what Collette describes as an “insane narcissistic” couple overseeing the expendables operation from a visually striking, opulent environment, contrasting with the harsh industrial conditions faced by the rest of the crew.
Collette praised Bong’s directing style, stating, “He’s unbelievably prepared… but within that, he allows the actors so much freedom.” The excitement surrounding “Mickey 17” builds as it gears up for a worldwide release on March 7, courtesy of Warner Bros., emphasizing the creative efforts behind Pattinson’s diverse projects, including the hotly anticipated filming of “The Batman 2.”
