Academy Award winner Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 movie starring Robert Pattinson earned strong reviews from critics but fell short at the box office. A year after the film’s release, Joon Ho opened up about how much creative control he had and who the audience should blame if they didn’t like it.

What did Bong Joon Ho say about Mickey 17’s final cut?

Speaking with Variety while promoting his next film, the South Korean director spoke about how he retained the final cut right on Mickey 17.

“Director’s final cut was part of my contract and everyone at the studio and at my agency tried their best to protect me,” he said. “Of course, during post production, there was lots of discussions and a lot of opinions going back and forth, but it wasn’t ever like someone was forcing something on me or giving me pressure. And so luckily, all my films have been released as my director’s final cut, even a movie as big as ‘Mickey 17,’ and all the good parts of that film and all the bad parts of that film came from me. I take full responsibility. So s— on me if you didn’t like it!”

The movie cost over $100 million to make, and grossed just over $133 million worldwide. After factoring in the marketing and distribution costs, Mickey 17 reportedly lost Warner Bros. Pictures over $100 million. An earlier cut of the film reportedly scored better with test audiences, though Joon Ho retained the final cut for the theatrical release.

(Photo Credit: RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

Following Parasite and Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho’s next film is an animated adventure, titled Ally. The film follows a “curious and endearing” piglet squid on a journey to the ocean’s surface after an aircraft sinks beneath. Joon Ho co-wrote the script with Jason Yu, with Guardians of the Galaxy stars Bradley Cooper and Dave Bautista for voice roles.

Mickey 17 is available to stream on HBO Max. Ally is set to be released in 2027.