Director Na Hong-jin’s new film ‘Hope’ is gearing up for its summer release following the wrap-up of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on the 23rd.
With ‘Hope’ leading the way, other massive hits like Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ are also scheduled for release, which is expected to bring a huge surge of energy to the recovering domestic cinema scene.
‘Hope’ is a sci-fi flick in signature Na Hong-jin style, telling the story of mysterious creatures that arrive at Hopo Port, a port village located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
This is Director Na’s first new project in 10 years since ‘The Wailing’ (2016). It is already one of the most anticipated films of the year, boasting an incredible cast including Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell, alongside Korean powerhouses Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon. The production budget is reportedly around 40 billion won.
Invited to the Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, ‘Hope’ had its first premiere on the 17th and has already sparked plenty of conversation.
While it received high marks for its suspenseful direction and action sequences, some critics pointed out that the ending and computer graphics (CG) were lacking.
Although it didn’t take home a trophy in the Competition section, it is rare for a Cannes competition film to be noted for its entertainment value, so movie fans are still buzzing with excitement for the summer release.
The strong fanbase built by Director Na’s previous works, ‘The Chaser’ (2008), ‘The Yellow Sea’ (2010), and ‘The Wailing’, is another reason for the high expectations. At the time of release, ‘The Chaser’ drew 5 million viewers, ‘The Yellow Sea’ over 2 million, and ‘The Wailing’ became his biggest hit with approximately 6.87 million viewers.
The version of ‘Hope’ released domestically is expected to be a polished version that fixes the shortcomings seen in the Cannes screening. In an interview at Cannes, Director Na mentioned, “There are about two months left until the domestic release, and I will continue to refine it until the very end.”
Film critic Yoon Sung-eun explained, “Director Na has always created works that pique curiosity. Even with mixed reviews, ‘The Wailing’ left a deep impression on audiences as one of the scariest movies.”
Critic Yoon added, “‘Hope’ is generating excitement as it is known to have the largest production budget for a Korean film. The overall atmosphere for Korean cinema is currently positive. Since ‘The Man Living with the King’ has brought audiences back to the theaters, ‘Hope’ could gain even more momentum.”
Thanks to the success of ‘The Man Living with the King’, which surpassed 16 million viewers, the number of domestic cinema-goers from January to April this year reached approximately 38.41 million, a 46.3% increase (about 12.16 million) compared to 26.25 million during the same period last year.
Besides ‘Hope’, several other blockbusters are lined up for release.
Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘Odyssey’ is one of the most anticipated movies worldwide. Based on Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ from ancient Greek mythology, it depicts the journey of Odysseus and stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron. The film opens domestically on August 5.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, releasing in July, is also highly anticipated. This is the fourth ‘Spider-Man’ series following ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’, ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’, and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, starring Tom Holland.
Pixar’s animation ‘Toy Story 5’ and Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi film ‘Disclosure Day’ will meet audiences next month.
