LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� Often when gets a script, one of the first things he does 鈥� to the annoyance of his girlfriend, 鈥� is try on different voices to bring his character to life.
"I鈥檝e always had that sort of response to a script,鈥� he reflected, but said it became a practice while making his 2014 film, 鈥淭he Rover.鈥� 鈥淚 think I feel very uncomfortable just doing something in my own accent. And for a while I felt like just doing an American accent felt like I was acting more.鈥�
It鈥檚 unsurprising, then, that when he was offered a starring role in 鈥淢ickey 17鈥� 鈥� director first feature film since his 鈥� Pattinson鈥檚 wheels immediately began turning over what his character(s) would sound like.
鈥淢ickey 17,鈥� a Warner Bros. release hitting theaters March 7, tells the story of Mickey Barnes, a naive but sympathetic protagonist who signs up to be an 鈥渆xpendable鈥� in a world that makes use of 鈥渉uman printing鈥� for dangerous tasks and research. When an expendable dies on the job, another version of them is printed with their consciousness and memories of their death intact.
But Mickey鈥檚 immortality is threatened when a very different version of him is printed while the 17th Mickey is mistakenly believed to be dead.
鈥淚 needed to find an actor who could cover both personalities,鈥� Bong said through a translator, recalling Pattinson鈥檚 performances in and 鈥淕ood Time鈥� as he considered the more sinister and conniving Mickey 18.
The inspiration 鈥� and creative choices 鈥� behind 鈥楳ickey 17鈥�
The film is based on Edward Ashton's 2022 novel, 鈥淢ickey7.鈥� But Pattinson, who read the book before he got the script, said he still can鈥檛 believe how different they are from one another. 鈥淲hen I read the script and Bong鈥檚 changes to it, I was like, 鈥楬ow did you see this tone in this book at all?鈥� It鈥檚 very, very different tonally. But I thought it鈥檚 fascinating to have that interpretation,鈥� he said.
Although Pattinson was eager to work with the acclaimed Korean filmmaker, he wasn鈥檛 given a lot of initial information about the movie or role. 鈥淭he only thing I knew was that it was in English and that the part was impossible,鈥� Pattinson said, laughing.
As he eventually gleaned more about the story and his character, ideas for Mickey 鈥� and Mickey鈥檚 voices 鈥� began swirling around in his head.
Pattinson envisioned slapstick montages of his myriad deaths 脿 la 鈥淭he Tom and Jerry Show鈥� 鈥� but that portion of the film turned out to be much darker than he expected. One early idea for voices that Bong shut down was inspired by Steve-O and 鈥� Pattinson was a devout 鈥淛ackass鈥� fan growing up and even repped a 鈥淛ackass鈥� 鈥渁lmost every day.鈥�
But one initial idea the 38-year-old had did stick. 鈥淢y first thought, on pretty much the first read of it, was, 鈥業t鈥檚 like Ren and Stimpy,鈥欌�� he said of the irreverent animated Nickelodeon series from the 90's about a cat and dog.
The dynamic between the two Mickeys is an apt comparison given Ren鈥檚 short temper and diabolical nature (Mickey 18), which stands in stark contrast to Stimpy鈥檚 naivete (Mickey 17). The similarities in their voices can also be heard.
鈥淚 kind of wanted to do this like cartoon character performance. You start out really, really extreme and then kind of gradually tone it down," he said of how he refined the characters. 鈥淲hen directors just let you do stuff, you just come out of the box doing whatever and wherever your instinct is taking you."
Working with Bong Joon Ho after 鈥楶arasite鈥�
In addition to Pattison, the sci-fi comedy boasts an impressive cast, including and Although Ackie, who plays Mickey鈥檚 romantic partner in the film, hadn鈥檛 worked with Pattinson before, she said they quickly hit it off.
鈥淲e鈥檙e both quite similar in how we work, which is very chatty up until the point of 鈥楢ction,鈥� and then we do the acting. And I really enjoy that kind of separation between character and self. I find it quite difficult to hold onto characters once there鈥檚 no cameras on,鈥� she said.
But it wasn鈥檛 just Pattinson who made the experience a positive one for her. 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty certain you could ask anyone who works with Bong Joon Ho, 鈥榃ould you go back?鈥� And they鈥檇 be like, 鈥業鈥檇 pay money.鈥欌��
Despite the notoriety the director has reaped since 鈥淧arasite鈥� racked up four Oscars in 2020, including best picture and best director, Bong said the experience hasn't changed him.
鈥淚t was fun and exciting to meet with all these famous artists and filmmakers during the campaign, but I didn鈥檛 feel like I was like on cloud nine. It was actually very mentally and physically exhausting because the campaign is so long and I just remember thinking, 鈥榃ow, this is really tough,鈥欌�� he recalled. 鈥淲e kept just like handing each other vitamins.鈥�
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
