Director Na Hong-jin’s new film Hope has been invited to the 79th Cannes Film Festival’s Competition section — and, in a major move, has secured a North American release through a partnership with U.S. distributor NEON.
Hope follows Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port outpost in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). After local youths report a tiger sighting, the village goes on high alert — and Beom-seok comes face-to-face with a reality that defies belief. The film marks Na Hong-jin’s long-awaited return 10 years after The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, The Wailing, igniting major anticipation.
Notably, the film’s Competition invitation is a milestone for Korean cinema, marking the first Korean entry in four years since Decision to Leave (dir. Park Chan-wook) and Broker (dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda).
Founded in 2017, NEON is a U.S. film distributor. Under the new partnership, the company will present six titles at Cannes, including Hope. After its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, running May 12–23 in Cannes, France, Hope is slated for a summer theatrical release in Korea.