South Korean director Na Hong-jin debuted his most expensive film, "Hope," at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in mid-May. The film premiered on May 17 according to some reports, while others cite the premiere as May 18, Sunday night at Cannes [1, 2].
"Hope" is a blood-splattered sci-fi thriller about a remote town near the South-North Korea border clashing with killer extraterrestrials. Na described it as a genre-defying mix of thriller, sci-fi, horror, and comedy [1, 2].
The film’s production budget was around 30 million euros—reported as about S$44 million by one source and $35 million by another [1, 2]. Na Hong-jin called it "the most expensive film in the history of Korean cinema," driven by high costs for special effects, design, and a star-studded cast [1].
Stars include the married couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander playing the alien killers with appearances heavily altered by effects. South Korean actors Hwang Jung-min and Jung Ho-yeon from "Squid Game" had lead roles [1, 2].
Na drew inspiration from "the wars that we know at the moment and the political situation that we had" when writing the screenplay [1]. The film is planned as the first installment in a series [1, 2].
"Hope" is competing for the Palme d’Or against 21 other films at Cannes 2026 [1, 2]. The film runs 160 minutes [2].
Critical response was mixed. Positive reviews came from Screen magazine and The Hollywood Reporter. IndieWire and Variety criticized the special effects’ quality and the film’s length [2].
The next major public showing of "Hope" will follow its Cannes premiere, as the film prepares for wider release and the series continuation.
