'Hope' sets record for highest overseas pre-sale amount for a Korean film... to be released in 200 countries including Taiwan on September 4 and North America on the 9th

Director Na Hong-jin’s film ″Hope″ is set to be released in over 200 countries and regions worldwide. Distributor Plus M Entertainment announced that ″Hope″ will premiere in Taiwan on September 4 and in North America on September 9, followed by sequential releases in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Latin America, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, and various other regions. ″Hope″ was invited to compete at the 79th Cannes Film Festival and achieved the highest pre-sale record ever for a Korean film overseas, securing pre-sales in over 200 countries and regions. NEON is handling distribution in North America and other English-speaking territories, while major global distributors such as Focus/UPI in France, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, and MUBI, along with local film companies in each country, are participating as partners. After the Cannes premiere, a re-edited version with refined creature scenes, sound, and editing was released, receiving praise from international critics. IndieWire commented on the re-edited version, saying, ″Through the deletion, addition, and restructuring of scenes, each narrative connects much more smoothly, and the flow of the story feels more natural,″ and ″The re-edited ’Hope’ is one of the best action films I’ve seen in recent years from start to finish.″ ″Hope″ is Director Na Hong-jin’s first feature film in 10 years since ″The Wailing.″ It tells the story of Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port outpost located in the Demilitarized Zone, who hears reports of a tiger appearing from local youths, triggering an emergency in the entire village. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender. The film has been screening nationwide in South Korea since July 15.