Na Hong Jin’s newest film Hope received a standing ovation lasting about seven minutes at its world premiere. The film marks the director’s return 10 years after The Wailing.
Hope was officially unveiled on May 17th at 9:30 PM local time in Cannes. The film follows Beom Seok, the head of a small police station in Hope Port near the Demilitarized Zone. The village falls into chaos when local youths report seeing a tiger. Beom Seok (played by Hwang Jung Min) and his officers try to handle the situation, but things quickly get out of control as a strange and mysterious threat terrorizes the village and hunters in the nearby forest.
Even before its premiere, Hope had generated massive buzz through its teaser trailer. Anticipation was sky-high for the project, which is known to have the largest production budget in Korean cinema history. Director Na Hong-jin’s take on a mysterious, otherworldly presence has drawn immense curiosity from audiences worldwide.
The film is attracting even more attention as the sole Korean entry in the Cannes Competition section this year—a major milestone that breaks a four-year drought for Korean cinema in the category. This highly anticipated return to the main competition is doubly significant with Director Park Chan Wook serving as this year’s Cannes Jury President.
Film fans showed explosive interest early in the morning, well before the official screening of Hope. Crowds of various nationalities held signs with “HOPE” written in large letters, appealing to passersby for tickets and showcasing their burning passion for the film. Various film trade magazines also featured the poster for Hope, fueling anticipation for the movie as it competes against other formidable titles.
The Hope team appeared on the red carpet at the Grand Théâtre Lumière before the screening. Director Na Hong Jin entered the theater to roaring cheers, followed by actors Hwang Jung Min, Zo In Sung, Jung Ho Yeon, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.
「Hope」クッソおもしろかったです。会場中爆笑&拍手、2時間40分お口あんぐりで観てました。チョンホヨンの登場シーンで大拍手。ホンギョンピョの撮影が素晴らしい！ https://t.co/Q6FHa6fGp5 pic.twitter.com/p5eDIkLEFX
— itsuko hirai (@itsukohirai) May 17, 2026
The audience erupted into a standing ovation and cheers after the screening of Hope concluded.
Director Na Hong Jin personally expressed his gratitude following the applause that lasted for over seven minutes, saying, “I sincerely thank you all for staying until the very end of this long screening and watching the film.” He looked up at both the first and second-floor seats and added, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues, team and actors who have been with me for years from the very beginning to this moment. I am also deeply grateful to the film festival for inviting us.” The actors fully captured the camera’s close-ups with finger hearts and shy smiles during the seven-minute applause, drawing enthusiastic responses from the crowd.
Reactions from the audience varied.
<호프>. 어안이 벙벙하다. 예상보다 더 큰 충격파로 칸 경쟁부문 역사의 외계종임을 증명. 올해 심사위원단이 이 영화의 도래를 어떤 의미로 공식화할지 정말이지 궁금하다. 할리우드 SF를 한국 농촌 배경에 이식했으리란 추측과 묘사는 반은 맞고 반은 틀렸다. pic.twitter.com/RlPpMCLtBc
— 김소미 Kim Somi (@see_imos) May 17, 2026
A reporter from Cine21 tweeted: “…I am absolutely stunned. It proved itself to be an alien entity in the history of the Cannes Competition section, delivering a shockwave far greater than expected. I am genuinely curious about how this year’s jury will interpret the film. The idea that it would simply graft Hollywood sci-fi onto a rural Korean backdrop was only half right.”
Global reviews of the film can be found here:
HOPE is an electrifying and batshit insane theater experience. Like if RRR was on crack cocaine laced with sci-fi and torched with jet fuel. The spectacle is incomprehensible in every way. It’s somehow War of the Worlds, Dune, and Alien wrapped up into one. Loved every second. pic.twitter.com/IPRJ9SUKCo
— Danny Jarabek @ #Cannes2026 (@dtjcinema) May 17, 2026
Hope: the first hour of Na Hong-jin’s blockbuster creature feature is electric. then you actually *see* the creature and it all falls apart. the script is worthy of the Mummy Returns-level CGI. something went very wrong here.
my #Cannes review: https://t.co/aYGB4nBK53 pic.twitter.com/hThnhV9wRh
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) May 17, 2026
Whoa. Did not expect Cannes to drop a HARD sci-fi full-on action movie War of the Worlds x Prometheus x Super 8 in the middle of the Cannes Competition this year. Insane. Everyone losing their shit. Na Hong-jin shaking up #Cannes2026 with Hope. Big time WTF did we just watch lol.
— Alex @ #Cannes2026 (@firstshowing) May 17, 2026
Na Hong-jin’s HOPE is an absolutely balls-to-the-walls, insane, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride from the first hour long opening action set piece all the way to the end of its nearly three hour runtime. The scale of the production design, visual effects, stunts and sound work are… pic.twitter.com/VtCTw4j7fr
— Matt Neglia @Cannes (@NextBestPicture) May 17, 2026
>> ‘Hope’ and 2 More Korean Films to Watch at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival
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