Naomi Ackie, one of the stars of Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming Mickey 17, has dropped some hints about the mysterious movie. While all we’ve seen so far is a cryptic first look at Robert Pattinson’s character in a tube, the actor promises it will be an "amazing story".
"I’m terrified to speak on it," Ackie admits to Total Film about the secrecy around the project, before adding: "The cast on it are incredible, director Bong is one of the most genius and kind men I've ever had the privilege to work with. The story is heartwarming and wild and funny. We had a lot of fun, there was a lot of laughter on that set."
Mickey 17 is inspired by the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton about a disposable employee called an Expendable. Sent to colonize an ice world, Mickey’s ability to regenerate when he dies proves useful on the dangerous mission. Alongside Ackie and Pattinson, the film also stars Nope’s Steven Yeun, Marvel star Mark Ruffalo, and Hereditary’s Toni Collette.
Ackie is keen to preserve the mystery around the movie for audiences, but she did gush about working with Bong. "I think what I really loved about the making of that film was how intricate it was, how detailed it was," she says. "The story is amazing, but how he chooses to tell it is very decisive, he's a very decisive director. He knows what he wants, and he's specific in a really freeing way. Man, I love that guy so much."
"Getting to see how he directs and how he puts his films together is like the most unique way I've ever seen," adds the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker actor. "It's incredible, I geeked out hard from the technical actor perspective, it was just like a totally different shift on how I've ever performed."
Ackie is one of the five nominees for the BAFTA EE Rising Star award after her recent work in the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The other actors nominated include Emily’s Emma Mackey, Living’s Aimee Lou Wood, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’s Daryl McCormack, and The Woman King’s Sheila Atim.
Voting for the EE Rising Star Award is now open and the winner will be announced at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, February 19. Mickey 17 is released on March 29, 2024 – for the latest on that and other upcoming movies, check out our guide to latest movie release dates.
