Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who won an Oscar for Parasite, is now teaming up with Warner Bros. to create a sci-fi feature based on Mickey7, Edward Ashton’s about-to-be-released novel from St. Martin’s Press.

According to the industry sources, Robert Pattinson in talks to play the leading role, who is also starring in The Batman, whose pandemic-postponed release date in the US is now slated for March 4. Pattinson first received attention a dozen years ago for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight series; he later appeared in Good Time (2017), The Lighthouse (2019), and Tenet (2020).

According to St Martin’s Press: “The Martian“meets “Dark Matter“ in Edward Ashton’s high concept science fiction thriller, the tale is about an “expendable” — a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Nifheim — who refuses to let his replacement clone, dubbed Mickey 8, take his place”

That’s the premise Bong Joon Ho will be grappling with in his new project, which accounts for his second recent deal with WarnerMedia, on the heels of his plans for an HBO series based on Parasite.

Parasite (2019) brought global accolades to Bong and to the South Korean film industry as the highest-grossing film (more than $260 million worldwide) to emerge from that Asian country. It was also the first non-English film to take prizes on Oscar night.

 Bong had earlier received much critical acclaim for earlier films such as Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), Memories of Murder (2003), The Host (2006), and Snowpiercer (2013). Parasite and Okja (2017) were both screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Mickey7 will be produced via Bong’s Offscreen production company, in cooperation with a team from Plan B and Kate Street Pictures.