Bong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated sci-fi film Mickey 17 has taken the South Korean box office by storm, debuting at number one with a commanding $6.6 million opening weekend. The film, starring Robert Pattinson, captured a massive 69.06% of the market share, making it the biggest opening of 2025 so far, even surpassing Captain America: Brave New World.
According to Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, the weekend of February 28 to March 2 saw a total box office haul of $9 million across the top 10 films, more than doubling the previous weekend’s $4.4 million.
A New Sci-Fi Hit for Bong Joon-ho
Mickey 17 follows the journey of a ‘reprinted’ worker (played by Pattinson) on a distant planetary colony, tasked with performing high-risk jobs that others refuse to do. The film’s strong debut was further boosted by a strategic non-traditional Friday release and the Monday Independence Movement Day holiday in South Korea.
With 980,549 admissions across 2,153 screens, the movie generated a four-day total of KRW12.9 billion ($9 million), according to Warner Bros. IMAX screenings contributed 9% of the total weekend earnings, highlighting the film’s appeal among premium format audiences.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Slips to Second Place
Marvel’s latest installment, Captain America: Brave New World, settled for second place, bringing in $721,841 and securing 7.47% of the market share. Starring Anthony Mackie as the new Captain America, the film experienced a significant decline from its previous weekend but still managed to attract 110,888 viewers. The movie’s total earnings in South Korea now stand at $10.5 million.
Other Notable Performances in the Top 10
Korean horror film Exorcism Chronicles: The Beginning held strong in third place with $568,718, accounting for 5.88% of the market share. Its total earnings now stand at $1.7 million.
Debuting at number four, the romantic drama It’s Okay! earned $186,691 with 29,779 admissions. Directed by Kim Hye-young, the film tells the heartfelt story of a high school student coping with the loss of her mother. Having won Best Film at Berlinale’s Generation Kplus strand in 2024, the movie has now accumulated $337,276 in total earnings.
Meanwhile, Paddington in Peru rounded out the top five with $159,116, bringing its cumulative total to $571,143.
Other notable entries include:
- You Are the Apple of My Eye (sixth place) – $151,499, cumulative $826,449
- Cheer Up, Korea! (seventh place) – $118,067, cumulative $144,541
- 1st Kiss (eighth place) – $85,423, cumulative $154,667
- A Complete Unknown (ninth place) – $106,367, cumulative $224,506
- Lee Chan-won Concert Anthem: Dear My Chance (tenth place) – $255,785, cumulative $517,422
Park Chan-wook Praises Robert Pattinson’s Performance
Beyond its commercial success, Mickey 17 is already receiving high praise from industry veterans. Acclaimed filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) has publicly endorsed Robert Pattinson’s performance, even suggesting that the actor should be nominated for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the 2026 Academy Awards.
Park’s endorsement is particularly intriguing given the film’s unique premise. Pattinson portrays multiple versions of the same character—clones of the titular Mickey—leading to a scenario where he is both the protagonist (Mickey 17) and a supporting character (Mickey 18).
While it would be unprecedented for an actor to be nominated in both categories for performances in the same movie, it is technically possible under Academy rules. The most recent example of an actor receiving dual nominations was Scarlett Johansson in 2020 (Marriage Story for Best Actress and Jojo Rabbit for Best Supporting Actress), but no one has ever achieved this feat for roles within a single film.
Also Read: 2025 Oscar Nominations: A Celebration of Cinematic Excellence
