[E-Daily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] Director Na Hong-jin’s new film “Hope” is generating remarkable buzz. From advance ticket sales to its opening-day box office figures, the film has set new records this year, signaling strong box office potential.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 16th, “Hope” took the top spot at the box office on the 15th, its opening day, drawing 333,918 viewers. Its cumulative audience count stands at 351,276.
Second place at the box office went to Universal Pictures’ “Minions & Monsters,” which opened on the 15th. “Minions & Monsters” kicked off its run with 31,728 viewers. Third place went to Disney’s “Moana,” which drew 13,025 viewers.
“Hope,” which had already set a new record by surpassing 600,000 advance tickets sold, also recorded the highest opening-day attendance of the year. This figure surpasses that of the previous number-one film, “Gunchye” (199,762 viewers).
Previously, the 10-million-viewer hit “Exhumation” had recorded 330,118 viewers on its opening day. All eyes are now on whether “Hope” can maintain this box office momentum.
As of 8:20 a.m. on the 16th, “Hope” is ranked first with a real-time ticket reservation count of 552,560. It also ranks first in ticket reservations at the three major theater chains: Megabox, CGV, and Lotte Cinema.
“Hope” is a science fiction feature film directed by Na Hong-jin—known for “The Chaser” and “The Yellow Sea”—marking his return to the genre 10 years after “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, hears reports from local youths about a tiger sighting. As the entire village goes on high alert, he is confronted with a reality that is hard to believe.
The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, alongside Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.
“Hope” set a record by surpassing 600,000 advance tickets sold. It is the third Korean film released since the COVID-19 pandemic to exceed 500,000 advance tickets, following “The Roundup 4” (approximately 834,000 tickets) and “The Roundup 3” (640,638 tickets).
Expectations are high that “Hope” will become Plus M’s next 10-million-viewer film, following in the footsteps of the “The Outlaws” series. Director Na Hong-jin, along with lead actors Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, are actively promoting the film through stage greetings, radio appearances, and other promotional activities.