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Mickey 17 draws 2 million Korean viewers in record time; Bong Joon Ho makes history at North American box office
Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 dominates the Korean box office and makes history in North America by becoming the first Korean-directed film to top the charts. Read all the details here!
Bong Joon Ho’s highly anticipated science fiction thriller, Mickey 17, is proving to be a major box office success, maintaining its stronghold in South Korea while making history in North America. The film, which has been one of the most talked-about releases of the year, has surpassed major milestones in just a short period since its debut, reaffirming Bong Joon Ho’s status as one of the most influential filmmakers in the industry today.
According to the Korean Film Council, as of March 9, Mickey 17 officially crossed the 2 million moviegoer mark, achieving this feat in less than 10 days. This accomplishment makes it the fastest film of 2025 to reach this milestone in South Korea, highlighting the immense anticipation and enthusiasm surrounding Bong’s latest work. Since its premiere on February 28, the film has remained at the No. 1 spot in the Korean box office, dominating the charts for nine consecutive days.
Beyond its home country, Mickey 17 has also been performing remarkably well in international markets, particularly in North America. The film premiered in the United States on March 7, and just two days after its release, it was projected to take the top spot at the North American box office for its opening weekend.
According to Variety, Mickey 17 is estimated to earn 19.1 million USD in its debut weekend, an extraordinary achievement for a Korean-directed film. This makes Bong Joon Ho the first Korean filmmaker ever to top the North American box office.
The film’s strong international presence is evident from its global box office performance, with total worldwide earnings already reaching 53.3 million USD as of its opening weekend. Outside of North America and South Korea, Mickey 17 has also made a notable impact in European markets. It grossed 9 million USD in South Korea within its first week, while in France and the United Kingdom, it has so far collected 2.9 million USD and 2.7 million USD, respectively.
These impressive figures indicate that the film is set to continue its success as it expands into more global markets in the coming weeks.
Mickey 17 is directed by Bong Joon Ho, best known for his Academy Award-winning masterpiece Parasite. The film is a sci-fi black comedy based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton and stars Robert Pattinson in the lead role. The story revolves around Mickey Barnes, a man known as an “expendable,” which refers to a disposable worker on a deep-space colonization mission. Each time Mickey dies on the mission, he is replaced by a newly regenerated clone of himself, carrying over his previous memories.
However, the situation takes a dangerous and unexpected turn when one of his clones, Mickey 17, is mistakenly presumed dead, leading to a crisis that threatens the entire mission.
With its strong box office numbers, Mickey 17 is poised to continue its dominance in the coming weeks. The question now is whether it will surpass the groundbreaking success of Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, which became a global sensation and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 2020. While it may be too early to predict, one thing is certain: Mickey 17 is proving to be another unforgettable addition to Bong Joon Ho’s illustrious filmography.
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