FILM · 2026 · SOUTH KOREA
Hope
- Directed by
- Na Hong-jin
- Runtime
- 157 min
- Studio
- Forged Films, Plus M Entertainment, Westworld Story
- Original title
- 호프
19 archived facts 6 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Sep 2026
In the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok and officer Sung-ae are called to investigate a mysterious creature wreaking havoc on the community. But all is not as it seems, and perceptions can be misleading. What begins as ignorance plants the seed of disaster, escalating through human conflict into a tragedy of cosmic proportions.
Summary: TMDB
All facts (19)
- #001
Na Hong-jin was reportedly originally collaborating on Hope with Alfonso Cuarón.
- #002
Na Hong-jin serves as director, screenwriter and producer of the film, with Kim Sae-mi and Saerom Kim also on the producing team.
- #003
Hope is Na Hong-jin's first film since The Wailing in 2016.
- #004
The production companies listed are Forged Films, Plus M Entertainment and Westworld Story.
- #005
Na Hong-jin has described how Hope developed from an idea he had in 2017 or 2018, based on a single image that came to him while eating in a restaurant.
- #006
The film's release date is stated as 15 July 2026.
- #007
Hope is produced by Forged Films, with Plus M Entertainment handling international sales, and its budget was reportedly higher than any previous Korean film.
- #008
The lead roles are played by Hwang Jung-min (Go Bum-seok), Zo In-sung (Go Sung-ki) and Jung Hoyeon (Lim Sung-ae); the international cast includes Alicia Vikander, Michael Fassbender, Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton; supporting roles are filled by Lee Sang-hee, Um Mun-suk, Im Hyun-sik, Hwang Seok-jeong and Han Woo-yeol.
- #009
Hope's main cast includes Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Hoyeon, alongside Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender, whose characters do not speak Korean in the film.
- #010
The film brings together the science fiction, mystery and action genres.
- #011
Hope is the first film on which married actors Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender have appeared together since The Light Between Oceans in 2016.
- #012
The story is set in Hope Harbor, a remote coastal town in South Korea.
- #013
Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton were added to Hope's main cast in April 2023.
- #014
The plot follows police chief Bum-seok and officer Sung-ae as they are tasked with finding a mysterious creature that throws the town into chaos, while a group of hunters tracking the monster through the forest becomes the hunted.
- #015
Eum Moon-suk, Lee Sang-hee and Im Hyun-sik appear in supporting roles in Hope, while Um Tae-goo and Lee Kyu-hyung, reported as cast members in May 2023, are absent from the final production and its promotional materials and credits.
- #016
Principal photography on Hope took place in 2023 in Bukpyeong-myeon, with filming locations that included Namchang in Haenam County.
- #017
Hope also shot in Romania, in the area surrounding the Retezat Mountains.
- #018
A sequence in Hope featuring a horse riding through a forest was shot in natural daylight in Retezat National Park.
- #019
Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell had finished their filming block on Hope by July 2024.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- TMDB TMDb
- Wikipedia Hope (2026 film) — Wikipedia
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