[E-Daily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi film “Hope,” set to open tomorrow, has set this year’s record for advance ticket sales.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 14th, “Hope” surpassed 500,000 advance tickets as of 1:50 p.m. based on real-time booking rates. The advance booking rate stood at 65.8%, marking the highest record among films released this year.
Among Korean films released since the COVID-19 pandemic, “Hope” is the third to surpass 500,000 advance tickets, following “The Roundup 4” (approximately 834,000 tickets) and “The Roundup 3” (640,638 tickets). Given that the previous two films both achieved “10 million viewers,” anticipation is growing as to whether “Hope”—the most highly anticipated film in the industry—will also reach the 10-million milestone.
“Hope” is the first feature film in 10 years from director Na Hong-jin, known for “The Chaser” and “The Yellow Sea,” since “The Wailing.” The story begins when Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port branch office located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), receives news from local youths about a tiger sighting. As the entire village goes on high alert, he is confronted with a reality that defies belief.
In particular, the film garnered significant attention even during production thanks to its star-studded cast spanning both domestic and international talent, including Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, as well as Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender. Invited to the Competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, *Hope* received a standing ovation at the festival for its original 3D-rendered creatures and its masterful direction as an overwhelming sci-fi thriller.
It opens on the 15th.