Mickey 17 is a black comedy film written, produced, and directed by Bong Joon Ho, based on the 2022 novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton. The film stars Robert Pattinson in the title role, alongside Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. Set in the year 2054, the plot follows a man who joins a space colony as an “Expendable”, a disposable worker who gets cloned every time he dies. The lead VFX house was DNEG, which worked alongside Framestore, to bring the film to ‘life’. In Mickey 17, the fusion of dark comedy and science fiction is brought to life through the meticulous efforts of DNEG’s visual effects team. VFX Supervisor Chris McLaughlin and Animation Director Robyn Luckham played pivotal roles in translating the film’s complex narrative and unique aesthetic into a visual spectacle as you can hear in this week’s fxpodcast. Chris McLaughlin, overseeing the visual effects, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project. The team faced the challenge of creating the icy planet, ensuring that the environment felt both otherworldly and tangible. The integration of live-action elements with CGI required precise coordination, particularly in scenes involving the “Expendable” clones, where Robert Pattinson’s character undergoes multiple regenerations. McLaughlin noted that achieving seamless transitions between practical effects and digital enhancements was crucial in maintaining the film’s immersive quality. Robyn Luckham, leading the animation department, focused on the characterization of the film’s unique creatures, notably the “Creepers.” Drawing inspiration from Bong’s vision, the animation team developed creatures that were both unsettling and endearing. Luckham highlighted the importance of motion capture technology in capturing nuanced performances, allowing the creatures to exhibit a range of emotions that resonated with audiences. The animation team’s attention to detail ensured that each creature’s movement contributed to the film’s narrative depth. The collaboration between McLaughlin and Luckham exemplifies the synergy required in modern filmmaking, where visual effects and animation converge to support storytelling. Their combined efforts resulted in a film that not only showcases technical prowess but also enhances the thematic elements central to Bong Joon Ho’s storytelling. Mickey 17  offers audiences a richly textured and darn funny film.