Rumour has it: Robert Pattinson to star in director Bong Joon-Ho's next film

The 'Parasite' filmmaker is allegedly in talks to adapt Edward Ashton’s upcoming novel 'Mickey7'

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is gearing up to roll out his next film, and rumour has it that he is in talks with Hollywood heartthrob Robert Pattinson to star in the project. Bong, the mastermind behind the hit 2019 film Parasite, will allegedly write and helm the yet-to-be-titled project for American entertainment giant Warner Bros, reported Deadline.

The film is being touted as an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s upcoming novel Mickey7. According to the outlet, details surrounding the Batman actor’s potential role in the film are being kept under tight wraps. Bong will also be producing the film under his own production company Offside, working alongside Choi Doo-ho for Kate Street Picture Company and Plan B. The duo previously joined hands for the 2017 Netflix original Okja, which was also directed by Bong.

The Mickey7 novel is expected to be published on February 15, and will be a sci-fi novel following its protagonist named Mickey7, an “expendable” employee. Seen as disposable by his employers, Mickey7 is sent off-world on an expedition to colonise an icy planet called Niflheim.

Specific details for Bong’s highly-anticipated project are yet to be revealed and it remains unclear how much Bong plans to draw from its source material. However Deadline’s sources note that, given the director’s past book-to-movie adaptations, his version of Mickey7 may differ from its source.

The upcoming untitled sci-fi film will notably be Bong’s first project since 2019’s Parasite, which swept that year’s Oscar awards for Best Director and Best Picture. Following the movie’s success, Bong was reportedly presented with a manuscript for Ashton’s unpublished novel, “which immediately drew his interest”. On the other hand, Bong’s forthcoming film is set to be Robert’s first project since he wrapped up Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which is all set for a global premiere in March this year.