Filmmaker Na Hong-Jin’s in Competition sci-fi thriller Hope received a seven-minute standing ovation in Cannes this evening.
Na praised the audience for staying with his two hour and forty minute epic alien thriller. During the premiere screening, at least three incredible action set-pieces drew exuberant applause. Had it ended 20 minutes earlier, the applause would’ve been through the roof. There was enthusiasm, but it was tempered.
The film stars Korean star Hwang Jung-min (Deliver Us from Evil), Zo In-sung (Moving), Hoyeon (Squid Game), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Taylor Russell (Bones and All) and Cameron Britton (Umbrella Academy).
The synopsis reads: “In Hope Harbor, a remote village near the Demilitarized Zone, police chief Bum-seok receives alarming news from local youths that a tiger has appeared. As the village erupts into panic, Bum-seok is forced to confront a reality beyond belief.”
The Cannes berth marks Na’s fourth return to the festival following his three previous films: The Wailing, which screened Out of Competition in 2016; the crime-thriller The Yellow Sea, which screened in the Un Certain Regard section in 2011; and his thriller The Chaser, also Out of Competition in 2008.
Written and directed by Na, Hope is produced by Na, Saemi Kim and Saerom Kim for Forged Films. It is executive produced by Jeongin Hong and co-executive produced by Eugene Kim, with Plus M Entertainment financing the film.
Neon has taken North American and English-language rights, while Mubi picked up Latin America, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey
Baz Bamigboye contributed to this report.