Director Na Hong-jin’s highly anticipated sci-fi film Hope is making waves from day one, seizing a massive 68% share of advance bookings and dominating attention.
Opening on the 15th, the film kick-started its run with 600,000 pre-sale tickets. According to the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS system, as of 7 a.m. that day, Hope held a 68.1% booking rate.
Hope follows escalating conflict between an extraterrestrial lifeform and residents of the fictional village of Hopohang, set within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It fuses explosive action and white-knuckle suspense with Na Hong-jin’s trademark streak of dark comedy.
Reacting to the booking stats, netizens said, "It’s the first time lately I’ve seen only one seat left in a theater," "That booking rate is insane," "This is going to blow up," and "Let’s hit 10 million."
Marking his first new feature in a decade since The Wailing (2016), Na Hong-jin rallies a powerhouse cast including Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, alongside Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell—fueling sky-high expectations.
Meanwhile, Hope is now playing in theaters nationwide.