It looks like Steven Yuen (Minari, The Walking Dead, Invincible) has his next role lined up. Variety reports that the actor has been cast alongside The Batman star Robert Pattinson for the next film by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer).
STEVEN YUEN TO RE-TEAM WITH PARASITE DIRECTOR BONG JOON HO FOR NEW SCI-FI PICTURE
Warner Bros. Pictures set up the new film project. It’s a sci-fi story based on the Edward Ashton novel, Mickey7. Publisher Macmillan describes the novel as a “high-concept science-fiction thriller” and “The Martian meets Dark Matter.” The story follows an “expendable,” a type of disposable employee sent on a dangerous mission to help colonize an ice world called Niflheim.
When an Expendable dies, a new body can be regenerated with most of the previous iteration’s memories fully intact. During his scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing, declaring him dead. This results in the creation of a new clone, Mickey8. However, after Mickey7 reappears, it creates a dangerous situation for them both. Having duplicate Expendables walking around at the same time is dangerous and universally loathed. If they are caught, they could both be sentenced to a recycler for their protein.
The film will see Yuen re-team with Bong, as the two previously collaborated on the 2017 Netflix film, Okja. Other actors attached to the film include Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, and Naomi Ackie. Pattinson is reportedly expected to play the lead role, but casting details are not yet confirmed. It’s also unknown what role the film has in mind for Steven Yuen.
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Bong Joon Ho is producing the picture through his production company, Offscreen. Plan B’s Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, as well as Kate Street Pictures’ Doohoo Choi, will produce the sci-fi thriller. Peter Dodd will oversee the project for Warner Bros. Pictures.
This will be Bong Joon Ho’s first picture coming off of his award-winning success, Parasite. The film earned the awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards. It’s also the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture. Although Parasite was a darkly comedic thriller, Joon Ho is no stranger to the sci-fi genre with his work on Snowpiercer and The Host.
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Yuen has been on a roll lately as well between his Oscar-nominated work in 2020’s Minari, and the smash-hit animated series Invincible. Additionally, he appears in Jordan Peele’s Nope later this summer. The film debuts in theaters on Jul. 22. Also, he’s working on the upcoming Netflix comedy series, Beef, opposite Ali Wong.
Overall, a sci-fi thriller based on such an interesting premise as Mickey7, directed by Bong Joon Ho, and starring Robert Pattinson and Steven Yuen, sounds incredibly exciting. It appears Joon Ho has an all-star cast that’s assembling for this picture, with other fine actors, such as Ruffalo and Collette, joining the cast. Whatever the final title could be, this appears like it could be a major project to watch and look forward to in the coming year or so.
What do you think of this casting news? Are you excited to see this next film from filmmaker Bong Joon Ho with actors Robert Pattinson and Steven Yuen? Let us know in the comments below! Also, be sure to follow The Illuminerdi on social media to be notified of more news and updates like this in the future!
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SOURCE: Variety
