‘Mickey 17': Bong Joon-Ho Denies He Doesn't Have Final Cut

Last week, a report from Daniel Richtman claimed that Bong Joon-Ho’s “Mickey 17” being delayed until January 2025 had to do with Bong being refused final cut on the film, and Warner Bros. wanting to release a “more accessible” version of the film.

This weekend, Bong was a guest at the 2024 Cinematheque's Friends Film Festival. He’s denying reports that Warner Bros. is interfering with “Mickey 17.” The Korean filmmaker says that his contract with the studio stipulated that he had full control over the editing process, and that he submitted his completed cut to the studio in November 2023.

November? Here’s what I don’t get. If what Bong is saying is true, and there’s no reason to doubt him, then why is “Mickey 17” being released in January 2025? A full 14 months after it was put in the can. The film originally had a March 2024 release date, but Warner Bros. suddenly nixed it from the schedule.

Something’s not right here. “Mickey 17” cost $150 million to produce. You don’t dump such a pricey project in January unless you barely have any faith in its prospects. The least they could have done with this one is, as per Bong’s wishes, premiere it at Cannes and give it a summer release, especially with this year’s strike-affected summer schedule.