Box Office Overview

Director Bong Joon Ho’s anticipated sci-fi film, Mickey 17, has debuted at the domestic box office, earning approximately $19.1 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada. Although this placed the film in the top spot, it fell short of the estimated $21 million forecast, signaling a potentially slower start for this unique story.

Film Details

Mickey 17 stars Robert Pattinson as an “expendable” member of a space crew, tasked with perilous missions and facing repeated deaths and revivals. Based on Edward Ashton’s novel Mickey7 from 2022, the film is notable for being Bong’s first endeavor since winning an Academy Award for Parasite in 2019. It has garnered a 79% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, demonstrating a positive reception among critics and audiences alike.

Challenges Ahead

The film’s slow start can partly be attributed to the difficulties of marketing original sci-fi concepts, particularly when they lack the recognition of established franchises like Dune or the Alien series. Moreover, Mickey 17 comes with a significant reported production budget of $118 million, placing further emphasis on its box office performance.

According to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, it’s important to note that it is early days for the film and there is potential for growth. “It’s only weekend one,” Dergarabedian stated. “It has got some time, and it really is not coming up against any direct competition.”

Current Box Office Competition

In the midst of Mickey 17’s debut, Disney and Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World secured second place with a gross of around $8.5 million during its fourth weekend, accumulating $176.6 million domestically to date. Other films in the top five this weekend included:

• Last Breath – $4.2 million
• The Monkey – $3.9 million
• Paddington in Peru – $3.85 million

Overall Box Office Trends

The domestic box office has faced a notable downturn recently, with the current weekend showing a 60% decrease compared to the same weekend in 2024. This drop is largely due to blockbuster releases from the previous year, including Dune: Part Two and Kung Fu Panda 4, which significantly outperformed this year’s releases.

Looking Ahead

With upcoming releases such as Disney’s Snow White and Paramount Pictures’ Novocaine, there is hope for rejuvenation in the box office landscape. Dergarabedian emphasized the importance of patience: “There are big blockbusters on the way. We have to be patient until they get here.”