Bong Joon Ho’s latest piece of sci-fi absurdism, Mickey 17, premiered on March 7, 2025 to US audiences. Somewhat surprisingly, the film was produced and distributed under Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD). On the surface, it seems a departure from their typical, larger-than-life content universe. Yet, that they gave an ambitious and singular filmmaker such a grand platform is ultimately optimistic. Unfortunately, despite a beloved director on board, the latest feature only accrued $19 million domestically in its opening weekend. With a whopping $118 million budget, its performance is certainly underwhelming.
One contributing factor is film fatigue. With its opening night less than one week after the replete 2025 Academy Awards within an already saturated award season, general audiences have had their fill of two-three hour long movies. Furthermore, Mickey 17 was lost in the chaos of awards marketing campaigns. NEON spent $18 million on marketing campaigns and distribution efforts for Anora, a famously lower budget film. It’s clear to see why this quirky picture got lost in the shuffle after several months pushing against robust efforts.
Mickey 17 and WBD are not the only victims of poor box office turnout. Compared to 2024, general revenues are down by 5% so far in 2025. To add insult to injury, they are 38% lower than they were in 2019, pre-pandemic. The industry has yet to fully recover from pandemic and strike losses. A general lack in new productions, coupled with a dense academy season (in which a meager handful of features were heavily magnified) contributes to the aforementioned, “film fatigue.” Audiences are often incentivized to seek out award winners they have yet to see. With many of those movies finally making their way to streaming services, folks feel less inclined to pay upwards of $18 for a theater ticket.
However, Mickey 17 is producing significant relative revenue in cinemas right now compared to other films. In fact, it is the fifth most profitable film so far this year worldwide according to reports from IMDb’s Box Office Mojo. Audiences are largely selecting Mickey 17 over all other films in the theaters.
It’s safe to say many of these viewers are fans of director Bong Joon Ho. Cinephiles who stay in the know about new releases from acclaimed directors. Perhaps WBD felt his reputation preceded any overt marketing pushes. They notably did not utilize their streaming platform MAX for advertising banners and trailers. The trailer presents the film more as a congenial comedy rather than an irreverent science fiction adaptation littered with dark humor and social commentary. To a viewer outside of film or media spheres altogether, it’s difficult to see the appeal. Mickey 17 can’t be marketed like other WBD pictures. It requires a campaign that understands its ideas, none of which are soaking in subtlety.
Studios often rely on algorithmic data to determine optimal conditions for a new release. Programs that scour the history of previously successful campaigns to determine what factors generate the greatest profit. It considers the timing of release, casting, as well as various publicity efforts. What these programs cannot account for are the contextual variables that contort the market in less predictable ways. Nor can they account for the nuance between what a specific film requires to achieve its greatest level of success and what a specific studio can veritably provide.
Film enthusiasts can hope this flick’s losses do not discourage studios from taking on similarly wacky or original projects in the future.