HOPE, the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller from acclaimed director Na Hong-jin, has shattered industry records at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, securing distribution in more than 200 territories worldwide and setting a historic benchmark for Korean cinema ahead of its summer debut.
International rights holder Plus M Entertainment announced today that the film’s unprecedented global pre-sales have already recouped nearly half of its net production budget, establishing a remarkably stable profit structure before its commercial release.
Following its high-profile invitation to the Competition section at Cannes, the film ignited a fierce bidding war at the Marché du Film. The massive commercial rollout expands on previously announced partnerships with North American distributor NEON and global platform MUBI.
In a wave of newly finalized deals, major studio partners have boarded the project:
Focus Features and UPI France will handle distribution in France, the Benelux region, and South Africa.
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions has locked down rights for Scandinavia, Portugal, Iceland, Israel, and the Middle East.
Gaga will spearhead the theatrical release in Japan.
The global footprint is further bolstered by leading regional distributors including The World Pictures (CIS), Unicorn Media (Eastern Europe), Shineasang (Thailand), Cai Chang (Taiwan), Golden Scene (Hong Kong), Pioneer (Philippines), Star Entertainment (India), PT Prima Cinema Multimedia (Indonesia), CGV (Vietnam), and Clover Films (Singapore).
Industry insiders note that the deal structures are highly unprecedented; several global majors committed to territorial acquisitions for HOPE outside of standard worldwide omnibus packages—a rare vote of confidence in the international box office viability of a Korean-language title.
Written and directed by Na Hong-jin (The Wailing, Chaser), HOPE follows Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), a chief officer stationed near the Demilitarized Zone, who investigates reports of a tiger sighting in a remote village, only to plunge the community into chaos as they confront an unbelievable reality.
The film features an elite international ensemble cast including Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton, alongside Academy Award winners Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.
Produced by Forged Films and co-produced by Plus M Entertainment and Westworld, HOPE is scheduled for a domestic theatrical release in Korea this summer, followed by a North American rollout via NEON in the fall, ahead of its sequential worldwide release.
