#한국영화

Na Hong-jin Returns After 10 Years — 'Hope' Finally Unveiled

Director Na Hong-jin, who reshaped Korean cinema with 'The Chaser', 'The Yellow Sea', and 'The Wailing', has finally come back after a whopping 10 years with his new film 'Hope'. As his first feature since 'The Wailing' (2016), breaking a long silence, the anticipation from film fans both in Korea and around the world is absolutely massive. Now that the film has finally been revealed, it's generating some serious buzz. A 7-Minute Standing Ovation That Shook Cannes 'Hope' made its global debut by being selected for the Competition section at the 79th Cannes Film Festival — the first Korean film in the Competition since 2022. Right after the screening, a standing ovation lasting about 7 minutes broke out, and the car chase sequence that unfolds from the middle of the film was praised as "one of the greatest cinematic moments of 2026". An Unknown Battle in a DMZ Village The story unfolds in 'Hopo Harbor', a small port village near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It all starts when word spreads that a tiger has appeared in the village — but things quickly spiral out of control as the townspeople come face to face with an unknown entity beyond anyone's imagination. Over the course of 161 minutes, the film intensely portrays the life-or-death struggle of local official Beom-seok and the village's young men against this mysterious threat. It's said to carry Na Hong-jin's signature razor-sharp tension, with unexpected humor woven in as well. A Star-Studded Cast Spanning Korea and Hollywood One big reason 'Hope' is getting so much attention is its incredible cast. Hwang Jung-min leads as village official Beom-seok, joined by Jo In-sung as a young hunter and Jung Ho-yeon as a rural police officer, with Um Tae-goo and Lee Kyu-hyung rounding out the ensemble. On top of that, Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell join as the mysterious entities, taking the scale to a whole new level. The production scale is equally impressive. Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo of 'Parasite' came on board, and the team stuck to a live-action-first approach with minimal CG and sets. Filming took place across locations including Haenam in South Jeolla Province and the Retezat Mountains in Romania, and the production budget is said to be the highest in Korean film history. July 15 Domestic Release, North America in September 'Hope' hits Korean theaters on July 15. For North America, a September 9 release has been confirmed through NEON — the same distributor behind 'Parasite's North American run. All eyes are on how this already Cannes-validated film will captivate cinemas worldwide, starting from Korea. After 10 long years, Na Hong-jin's world is back. It'll be worth watching what kind of impact 'Hope' leaves on cinemas this summer — just like its name suggests.