Allow Robert Pattinson to introduce himself once again. He plays more than a dozen different versions of the same character, Mickey Barnes, in the upcoming science fiction thriller Mickey 17, helmed by the acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.
Considering Pattinson’s acting credits from his earlier films, this portrayal appears to be difficult to pull off. As if we needed another reason to love Twilight fame, the skilled actor has once again proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the movie business.
In fact, The Batman star shares a distinguishing feature with the equally talented actor Cillian Murphy, who is known for his piercing gaze onscreen. At CinemaCon, the yearly exhibition trade show currently taking place in Las Vegas, the Oscar-winning director of Parasite revealed that the one feature that made him cast Pattinson was his “crazy” eyes.
The Mesmerizing Gaze: How Robert Pattinson’s Eyes Won Him the Role in Mickey 17
There is no denying that Cillian Murphy and Robert Pattinson both have a certain intensity to their roles that makes them stand out from other Hollywood actors. Their striking capacity to enthrall the audience and arouse powerful emotions is very astounding. Apparently, one of the most reputable directors in the business has noticed this common characteristic.
At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Robert Pattinson—along with his carbon copies—made an unexpected appearance. He and the director, Bong Joon-ho, gave attendees a sneak peek of Mickey 17.
As an expendable character, Pattinson’s job is to die several times over the course of several spaceship missions in the film. He is actually seen floating dead in an astronaut suit. At one point, the actor’s character runs into his identical twin, who also makes an attempt on his life.
What made Bong Joon-ho cast the Remember Me star? Well, this is because “he has a crazy thing in his eyes”, the director, 54, acknowledged (per Screen Rant).
The lead actor of Mickey 17 is likewise incredibly impressed with his director. Pattinson, 37, who is sharing the screen space with Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie and Toni Collette, said that
“I’ve been the biggest fan of Bong for many years. He’s my hero. I read the script and I thought it was one of the most funny, bizarre scripts I’ve read in my life. It was a no-brainer.”
The science fiction movie, which will be released the following year, is based in the future and follows the story of Mickey, who dies and is constantly recreated in different bodies to perform dangerous tasks on a far-off planet.
The Secret Ingredient: Cillian Murphy’s Impact on Christopher Nolan
Oppenheimer boasts an impressive roster of A-list talent. Starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, and a host of other prominent names, the film depicted one of the pivotal moments in world history. However, Murphy surely gave a memorable performance in the Christopher Nolan creation.
Upon seeing Murphy’s photo in a San Francisco newspaper after the film 28 Days Later came out, Nolan became determined to have “struck” with the actor. In a previous interview with EW, the director disclosed:
“I remember I was up in San Francisco writing Batman Begins and there was something in the San Francisco Chronicle about 28 Days Later. I saw a picture of you with your shaved head and your crazy eyes — no offense. I remember being struck by your presence, literally from that one photograph.”
As requested by Nolan, Murphy also performed a screen test for the role of Batman, which eventually went to Christian Bale. However, the Interstellar director insisted on having a 47-year-old actor play Scarecrow in The Dark Knight trilogy.
As we eagerly await the release of Mickey 17, it is clear that Robert Pattinson’s “crazy” eyes helped bring the character to life on screen. With Bong Joon-ho at the helm, this flick will definitely be a must-see for fans of both actors and cinema in general.
Warner Bros. Pictures has scheduled Mickey 17’s theatrical release for January 31, 2025.
