Director Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope' met North American audiences at San Diego Comic-Con.
'Hope' (Director/Screenplay Na Hong-jin, Produced by Posed Films, Co-produced by Plus M Entertainment and Westworld Inc., Provided/Distributed by Plus M Entertainment) confirmed its North American release on September 9. Director Na Hong-jin attended the Ballroom 20 venue at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23 and met with approximately 4,000 audiences. Comic-Con is the world's largest pop culture festival covering movies, comics, games, and more, and this event was moderated by pop culture critic Joanna Robinson, proving high interest.
Prior to the main event, a special video compilation of Na Hong-jin's previous works including 'The Chaser,' 'The Yellow Sea,' and 'The Wailing' was screened to heat up the atmosphere. Director Na Hong-jin took the stage and stated that this film carries messages from his previous works, but its style and narrative texture are completely different, urging the audience to set aside preconceptions and expectations about his past films. This was followed by discussions about the overwhelming scale and global interest in the work.
Subsequently, opening footage featuring Joeng Ho-yeon and previously unreleased footage from the main film were revealed for the first time. A scene where Hwang Jung-min, struggling in a chaotic town, encounters an alien, and an action sequence with Jo In-sung on horseback facing off against patrol cars garnered explosive reactions. Director Na Hong-jin cited the most difficult scene to film as the one where characters escape on horseback across a forest. He also praised Joeng Ho-yeon for undergoing six months of driving training to execute both high-difficulty drifting and acting simultaneously. The following Q&A session where the director answered questions directly added to the excitement.
'Hope,' which has maintained its unwavering position at the box office number one spot since its release and continues its successful run, tells the story of Hwang Jung-min, the head of the Hopo Port Branch located in the Demilitarized Zone, who hears news from village youth that a tiger has appeared and faces an unbelievable reality. The film is currently in nationwide theaters.
