Historical dictators and the voice of Steve Buscemi proved major inspirations for sci-fi feature Mickey 17, according to director Bong Joon Ho and star Robert Pattinson.
Speaking at the Berlinale press conference for the film, Oscar-winning Korean filmmaker Bong addressed a question that the megalomanic dictator played by Mark Ruffalo – complete with beaming-white teeth and a notable accent – may have been inspired by US president Donald Trump.
“Mark Ruffalo is a character who embodies the dictators of the past that we’ve experienced,” said Bong. “This is how I came up with this character. He has, in a comical way, all the faces of the bad politicians that we’ve experienced.
“Of course, I had some people I took as a reference such bad Korean politicians… but not actual politicians right now. It seems like you have certain politicians of modern times that you’re thinking of, but I made this character drawing my inspiration from the past. As history always repeats itself, it might seem like I’m referring to someone in the present. Even if I make something thinking of an event in the past, it seems to cover current events as well.”
The Warner Bros film, which received its world premiere in London on Thursday and will screen as a Berlinale Special Gala this evening, stars Pattinson as an “expendable” employee sent on dangerous missions, who is “re-printed” after dying. The story unfolds when his company makes an 18th iteration, not realising that Mickey 17 is still alive.
The actor, who has become known for taking creative risks since his turn in the Twilight franchise, adopts a distinctive accent for his multiple roles in Mickey 17 and said that it only occurred to him today where the voice originated.
“I realised today what I was doing,” Pattinson recalled. “We were doing an interview earlier and Bong said one of the thoughts he had in his head for Mickey 18 was Peter Stormare in Fargo. When we were talking about it, as we prepped for it, I think I just went home and how that went into my head was to do Steve Buscemi as [Mickey] 17. I did it by accident. I didn’t realise that until today. I thought I was doing something else!”
He also revealed how Japanese animation inspired his performance. “I definitely got references from anime, just in the discordant mood changes, especially for Mickey 18 when you go from zero to 100 incredibly quickly,” said the actor. “I always really liked that in anime when you had someone entirely static who is suddenly furious out of nowhere. I was trying to do some emulation of that.”
Bong and Pattinson were joined at the press conference by cast members Steven Yeun, Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette and Anamaria Vartolomei. After Pattinson said he joined the project without even really knowing what it was, Australian actress Colette added: “I, too, said yes to this movie before seeing a script. I’ve never done that in my life but when this guy calls you just say yes. Bong is a true original, a proper auteur, a visionary, an incredible leader but an even better collaborator.”
Director Bong, whose class satire Parasite became the first ever film not in the English language to win best film at the Oscars in 2020, added: “I want to make films of all genres, that’s my life goal - although I am a bit scared of musicals.
Mickey 17 is set to open in South Korea on February 28 before rolling out through Warner Bros in a large number of territories including the US the following week. Bong produces through his outfit Offscreen, alongside Plan B’s Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner and Kate Street Pictures’ Dooho Choi in the US.
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