Would “Mickey 17”'s creepers defeat “Dune”'s sandworms in battle? 'We got this,' says Bong Joon Ho

There's a new cinematic worm in Hollywood.

The movie adaptations of Frank Herbert's novel Dune introduced audiences to the Shai-Hulud, massive sandworms native to the desert planet of Arrakis. Now, the newest theatrical worm entry is the creeper, a worm-like species native to the ice planet of Niflheim in Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho's feature adaptation of Ashton Edward's sci-fi novel Mickey7.

Related: Bong Joon Ho says Mark Ruffalo's Mickey 17 villain isn't a Trump parody

The Parasite filmmaker’s sci-fi comedy (in theaters now) stars Robert Pattinson as Mickey Barnes, a man on the run who haphazardly applies to become an “expendable” — an endlessly cloned crew member assigned to dangerous, often fatal tasks — aboard a space expedition to colonize Niflheim. The crew is met with an army of creepers led by a larger matriarch referred to as Mama, and they’re very much ready to protect their turf and each other.

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It all begs a rather pertinent question: Who would win in a battle, Mama creeper or the Shai-Hulud?

"I think if it's one-on-one combat, Mama would be at a disadvantage," Bong tells Entertainment Weekly, indulging an otherwise frivolous inquiry through his interpreter. "But if you see all the creepers come out and help her [like] in the film, then we got this. Mama Creeper is great with strategies. She's like General Patton in the desert. She's super intelligent, so that's how she'll win."

Dune has been adapted for the big screen twice: the 1984 feature from the late and great David Lynch starring Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis, and Patrick Stewart, and the most recent entry from Denis Villeneuve starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson split into two films: 2021's Dune and 2024's Dune: Part Two. Bong praises recent adaptation star Chalamet as a "great actor."

Related: How Dune created the sinister sounds of those menacing sandworms

Mickey 17 continues a theme of theatrical creatures in Bong's works, including the hybrid super pig in Okja and the squid-like "monster" in The Host. Edward's novel describes the creepers as worm- and centipede-like. For Bong, it was important to develop the creatures "into a richer group of characters" for the film. Croissants (not dipped in s---, per a line in the film) and cute puppies were among some of the conceptual references for the creatures. "They had to be very cute and lovable," says Bong.

Mickey 17 is in theaters now, sans unsettling creeper popcorn bucket.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly