Robert Pattinson had a surprise inspiration for his voice work in Bong Joon Ho's new movie Mickey 17: Ren and Stimpy, and his first idea was even stranger.
In the upcoming sci-fi film, based on Edward Ashton's novel Mickey7, Pattinson plays Mickey, an “expendable” who is “reprinted” by his employer after his death. However, a mix-up means that Mickey 17 suddenly finds himself face to face with Mickey 18, and the former survives a dangerous journey to the world of Niflheim.
To differentiate between the pair (both played by Pattinson), the Batman actor was influenced by Ren and Stimpy, the Nickelodeon cartoon characters of the early and mid-1990s.
“He's a little bit like Stimpy,” Pattinson told Empire of his Mickey 17 voice. “When 18 comes in, he's a little more like Ren.”
Surprisingly, that it was not Pattinson's first choice for his distinctive Mickey 17 voice. Instead, that honor falls to Jackass alums Steve-O and Johnny Knoxville. Unfortunately for the actor, director Bong Joon Ho gave a crushing verdict.
“I love Steve-O's voice. We did that at the first reading,” Pattinson said. “And Bong said, 'That voice sounds like nails on a blackboard.'” I was like, 'Is that a good thing?' He said, 'No.'”
The first Mickey 17 trailer landed in September, with Pattinson's Mickey(s) having a tough time in the sci-fi thriller.
Mickey 17 will hit theaters on January 31, 2025. The cast, led by Pattinson, also includes Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie and Toni Collette.