‘Hope’ opens with record presales and strong global buzz

Korean alien sci-fi film "Hope," directed by Na Hong-jin, opened Wednesday with record presales. 

Having already amassed 599,000 advance ticket sales, it has notched the highest total of any film released in the country so far this year.

The movie is also dominating advance bookings, with a rate of 68.1 percent as of 7 a.m., far outpacing competitors  "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at 11.3 percent and the animated film "Minions & Monsters" at 6.2 percent, per the Korean Film Council. 

"Hope" tells the story of an unidentified alien life form that appears in a fictional village near the inter-Korean demilitarized zone. It foregrounds action, drawing out battles between aliens and villagers through high-intensity sequences involving cars and horses, while also carrying Na's signature touch of comedy blended into the suspense. 

It is the director’s first film in a decade, following his hit horror mystery “The Wailing” (2016).

The cast comprises veteran actors Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung, "Squid Game" (2021, 2024, 2025) actor Jung Ho-yeon and Hollywood stars Cameron Britton, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell. 

The production budget exceeds 50 billion won ($33.7 million), the highest ever for a single Korean film. 

"Hope" premiered in the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival in May and has reportedly undergone further revisions before its worldwide theatrical release. The film has been sold to more than  200 countries. 

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]