Director Na Hong-jin’s thriller Hope is set to make waves at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Plus M Entertainment, the film’s distributor, announced that Hope will be featured in the prestigious Perlak section of the festival, which runs from September 18 to 26 in Spain.
The Perlak showcase is reserved for critically acclaimed features that have yet to hit Spanish theaters and have garnered praise at other international film fests.
Hope made its world premiere in the competitive lineup at the 79th Cannes Film Festival this past May. Its festival run has since included stops at the 25th New York Asian Film Festival and the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, with San Sebastián marking its latest high-profile appearance.
James Gunn, the co-chair of DC Studios and helmer of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, recently sang the praises of Hope after catching a screening. Gunn gushed that he’s been a fan of Na Hong-jin’s work since The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and The Wailing. As someone who absolutely adores The Yellow Sea, he was ecstatic to experience Na’s latest masterpiece, Hope.
Hope follows Beom-seok (portrayed by Hwang Jung-min), who oversees a branch office in the demilitarized zone’s (DMZ) Hopo Port. When local youngsters report a tiger sighting, the entire village is thrown into a state of panic, leading Beom-seok to confront an almost unbelievable situation.
This marks Na Hong-jin’s return to feature filmmaking, a decade after his critically acclaimed The Wailing. The star-studded cast includes Hwang Jung Min, Jo In Sung, Jung Ho Yeon, alongside international talents Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. The film hit Korean theaters on July 15 and continues its successful theatrical run.