Bong Joon-ho on the absurdist humor of 'Mickey 17' and his bond with Robert Pattinson

Director Bong Joon-ho is out with a new sci-fi film, “Mickey 17,” showcasing his signature blend of drama and absurdist comedy.

Directed and written by Bong, the film is an adaptation of Edward Ashton’s novel “Mickey7” and stars Robert Pattinson as an “expendable” — a worker who takes on potentially fatal assignments during an expedition to a new planet, with the expectation of being cloned if he dies.

Six years after the global success of “Parasite,” and four Oscar wins, the new movie is true to Bong’s style as it blends political commentary, satire and the grandeur of a space epic. The Korean director said this requires a delicate balance of tone.

“I believe that when the subject matter is serious or solemn, if it isn’t laced with humor like a sauce, I just can’t stand it,” Bong told NBC News in Korean. “Like sprinkling salt or red pepper flakes on a good meal — I absolutely need [humor] in order to make a movie.”

Bong said creating an English-language film presented a challenge when it came to injecting his absurdist comedy.

“Regarding language, I’m much more comfortable shooting in Korean,” Bong said. “If an actor suddenly does something odd on set, I can immediately adjust or throw in a new idea.”

“But doing this in English isn’t nearly as easy. It’s like, I do everything perfectly, but when a member of my crew bursts out laughing and I don’t hear [what made them laugh], I get somewhat upset.”

He said his cast and crew are critical in helping him create film in a nonnative language.

Robert Pattinson (both) in MICKEY 17, a 2025 Warner Bros. film.Warner Bros / Everett Collection

“I make it a point to work with actors who can handle that kind of role, those who have a strong sense of humor and understand the nuances,” Bong said. “In this film, I believe actors like Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette and Steven Yeun are all great examples of that nuance. Without their help, the humor wouldn’t come together.”

“I’m fortunate to have excellent people around me, like [interpreter] Sharon [Choi] and at least one assistant director who practically acts as a producer. There’s also Dooho Choi, a Korean American producer who speaks Korean extremely well. Having such people around me on set is invaluable. I rely on them completely during production.”

Bong shared his admiration for Pattinson, who he says picked up on the Korean culture quickly during their press tour. 

Fans on social media were quick to notice their sweet interactions, posting about their “aegyo,” which translates to “cuteness” or “charm” in Korean. 

“I wondered where Pattinson learned [the finger heart], because Rob really seems to enjoy these kinds of things,” Bong said. “He’s good at it — maybe someone in Korea taught him that this is what you should do when you go there. But I never told him to do it.”

“Even at the Berlin Film Festival, after the screening in Germany, when everyone was clapping and cheering, I looked over and saw Rob saying to me, “Let’s do the heart,” and so I did it too — especially since a renowned actor also wanted it. It’s just so cute. I guess it’s really fun.”

Despite the massive success of “Parasite,” which earned over $250 million worldwide and won four Oscars, Bong said he was unfazed by outside pressure.

“Now I’m 55, so I’m past the age where I might get carried away, overly excited, or suddenly change my values,” Bong said. “Take Quentin Tarantino. He earned awards at Cannes and an Oscar with ‘Pulp Fiction,’ and his film became an internationally acclaimed independent hit. But his big breakthrough happened when he was around 31. I experienced such things in my 50s, so it didn’t really shake my usual way of working. I just kept doing what I’d always done.”

“I’m just a film director — a filmmaker — with a desire to make films that are a bit unique. I hope I continue to do interesting, unique and distinctive work without any pressure to be a trendsetter.”