When director Na Hong Jin — the mastermind behind The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and the haunting The Wailing — makes a new film, the world sits up and pays attention. After nearly a decade of silence, he is back with HOPE (호프), a sci-fi thriller that just dropped its first preview clip and is heading straight to the main competition at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. One look at the cast list and you’ll understand why this is already being called unmissable.
Table of Contents
“HOPE” — Everything You Need to Know
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Film Title | HOPE (호프) |
| Director & Writer | Na Hong Jin |
| Genre | Sci-Fi / Thriller |
| Runtime | 160 minutes |
| Setting | Hope Harbor village, near South Korea’s DMZ |
| World Premiere | 79th Cannes Film Festival (May 12–23, 2026) — Main Competition |
| Korean Release | Summer 2026 |
| US Distributor | Neon (also UK & Australia) |
| International | MUBI (Latin America, Germany, Italy, Spain & more) |
| Cinematographer | Hong Kyung Pyo (Parasite) |
What Is “HOPE” About?
“HOPE” follows the story of Bum Seok (Hwang Jung Min), the head of the Hopo Port branch police office located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). After hearing news of a tiger sighting from local youths, the entire village is thrown into a state of emergency as they encounter an unbelievable reality.
But don’t let the tiger fool you. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions. Reinforcements are diverted to battle wildfires, all communication is cut off, and Bum Seok and officer Sung Ae struggle to defend a village of the elderly, while in the mountains, Sung Ki and locals who set out to track the beast find themselves hunted instead. Festival de Cannes
The First Preview Clip — What We Saw
The clip begins with Hopo Port police substation chief Bum Seok and local villager Sung Ki (Zo In Sung) responding after hearing reports from neighbourhood youths that a tiger has appeared in the village. Pointing toward a vague figure in the distance, Sung Ki says, “It’s over there,” while Bum Seok stares down the road and replies, “That thing happens to be dead in the middle of the street?”
The identity of the mysterious “thing” is never revealed in the clip. Although the film’s exact time period has not been disclosed, the police car and Bum Seok’s uniform suggest a setting earlier than the present day. Ominous, deliberate, and dripping with tension — classic Na Hong Jin. soompi
Star-Studded Cast — Korean Meets Hollywood
HOPE is Na’s first film with a mixed Korean and Hollywood cast. It pairs Korean stars Hwang Jung Min, Zo In Sung, and Squid Game‘s Hoyeon with Oscar-winning couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander — reuniting on screen for the first time in ten years — as well as Bones and All‘s Taylor Russell and Mindhunter‘s Cameron Britton. The Hollywood Reporter
Hwang Jung Min, who teams up with Na Hong Jin for the second time after The Wailing, takes on the role of Bum Seok, the police dispatch chief. Zo In Sung plays Sung Ki, a village youth who heads into the mountains to chase the creature. Jung Ho Yeon makes her powerful screen debut as Sung Ae, a police officer with clear personal standards. Hollywood actors take on alien characters. sbs
Director Na said of his cast: “I’m deeply grateful to the actors for taking on these roles and delivering such dedicated performances. They conveyed everything this film set out to capture with remarkable talent and focus.” Variety
Why Cannes Is a Big Deal for This Film
HOPE is the first Korean title to enter Cannes’ main competition in four years, following Park Chan Wook’s Decision to Leave in 2022. Park Chan Wook has been named the 2026 jury president — meaning a Korean maestro will judge his compatriot’s entry for the Palme d’Or. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
FAQs
Q: Where can I watch “HOPE” and when does it release?
Following its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, “HOPE” is scheduled to hit theatres in Korea in summer 2026. Neon holds North American, UK, and Australian rights, while MUBI has acquired the film for Latin America, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Turkey. Global release dates beyond Korea are yet to be confirmed. soompiVariety
Q: Who is director Na Hong Jin and why is “HOPE” so anticipated?
HOPE marks the long-awaited return of Na Hong Jin, a decade after The Wailing cemented his reputation as one of cinema’s great genre voices. The director has said the entire project grew from a single image that came to him while eating in a restaurant in Seoul in 2017, and has publicly discussed its potential to spawn a franchise — calling it his most ambitious project to date.
