Box Office: Robert Pattinson's Mickey 17 faces massive losses as Warner Bros braces for USD 75 to 80 million deficit

Mickey 17 fails to gain momentum at the box office despite critical praise, with Warner Bros anticipating losses of up to USD 80M due to weak domestic and international earnings.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 21, 2025 | 01:01 PM IST | 5.9K

Picture Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures

Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated sci-fi black comedy, is on its way to being a major loss for Warner Bros following its dismal box office reception. The film, which stars Robert Pattinson in the titular role, working as an expendable in a futuristic dystopian world, will likely lose between USD 75 to USD 80 million during its theatrical run, according to multiple Variety sources. The Mickey 17 camp is refuting the estimates, saying the true losses are significantly less.

After two weeks among audiences, Mickey 17 has earned USD 35.7 million domestically and USD 92.2 million worldwide. The film was initially projected to end its run with USD 175 million to USD 180 million globally, with a USD 52 million gross in the U.S. market and USD 123 million internationally, but that range now feels far from reach. Mickey 17’s breakeven point is USD 300 million, given its opulent USD 118 million production cost, with Warner Bros shelling out an additional USD 80 million on marketing, including a USD 4 million spot during the AFC Championship. Sources say the studio scaled back some promotional efforts in the days leading up to the venture’s theatrical debut, potentially saving millions of dollars in the process.

Most movies don’t earn profits solely via a theatrical release. Profit-making dollars for such endeavors come from TV and streaming licenses; however, the box office dictates those subsequent deals, and Mickey 17 will enter negotiations in the red.

Reviews for the film have been positive, with critics calling its visuals stunning and its narrative bold. For those unversed, Bong Joon Ho is an Oscar-winning director (Parasite), and Pattinson is an A-list talent, a star of blockbuster franchises like Twilight and The Batman. Critics were not snubbing their efforts while reviewing the film. Moviegoers, however, had a mixed response, landing the film a B grade on CinemaScore.

Warner Bros will look to recoup the loss of Mickey 17 from films like Minecraft, James Gunn’s Superman, and the Michael B. Jordan starrer Sinners.

So far, overall box office grosses this year have been low, as Paramount’s Novocaine and Focus Features’ Black Bag bombed last week, while Captain America: Brave New World and Paddington in Peru struggle to continue the legacy of their franchises.