Director Bong Joon-ho’s much-anticipated Hollywood return with Mickey 17 has come to a premature end in theaters, concluding its underwhelming box office run and transitioning to streaming platforms just one month after its debut. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
LOS ANGELES, April 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Director Bong Joon-ho’s much-anticipated Hollywood return with Mickey 17 has come to a premature end in theaters, concluding its underwhelming box office run and transitioning to streaming platforms just one month after its debut.
According to Amazon Prime Video’s release calendar, the film will be available for streaming beginning April 7 at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. It will also be accessible on other platforms, including Apple TV and Fandango, marking the official end of its theatrical release.
Starring Robert Pattinson and backed by Warner Bros., Mickey 17 opened on March 7 across 3,807 theaters in North America. But after weeks of declining screen counts, it earned a modest $44.7 million domestically and $77.7 million internationally, bringing its global total to approximately $122.4 million.
The film’s production budget was an estimated $118 million, excluding marketing costs. According to Variety, Warner Bros. invested an additional $80 million in promotional campaigns. Industry analysts estimated the film needed to generate around $300 million at the box office to break even, factoring in exhibitor cuts. With global earnings expected to fall short at $143 million, losses could exceed $80 million.
In South Korea, the film has also struggled, drawing just under 3 million viewers and generating roughly ₩29.6 billion ($22 million) as of April 6, according to the Korea Film Council.
Despite Bong’s Oscar-winning pedigree—Parasite (2020) swept four Academy Awards including Best Picture—Mickey 17 garnered more muted reception. The film received a “B” grade from CinemaScore audiences and holds a 77% critic rating and 73% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes—well below the acclaim earned by Bong’s earlier works like Parasite (99% critics, 95% audience) and Memories of Murder.
The film’s underperformance underscores a broader trend in the industry: theatrical releases alone are increasingly insufficient to recoup blockbuster budgets. While post-theatrical streaming deals often help studios recover losses, performance at the box office significantly impacts licensing value. As Variety noted, Mickey 17 may struggle to close its financial gap even after streaming revenue.
The film was one of the most highly anticipated studio projects of 2025, marking Bong’s first feature since Parasite and his first major foray into English-language sci-fi. For Warner Bros., it was a bold bet on auteur-driven prestige filmmaking—but one that has, for now, fallen short of expectations.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
