Hope is already generating major buzz at the Cannes Film Festival — but an awkward moment during the film’s official press conference is now drawing criticism online.
On May 18th local time, director Na Hong Jin appeared alongside stars Hwang Jung Min, Zo In Sung, Jung Ho Yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell for the film’s official Cannes press conference.
The movie marks Na Hong Jin’s first feature in a decade following The Wailing and is one of 21 films competing for this year’s Palme d’Or.
During the event, an unidentified reporter addressed Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender directly before adding, “I don’t know the rest of you,” creating an uncomfortable atmosphere in the room.
According to reports from the scene, nearby journalists looked around in confusion trying to identify the speaker, while even the moderator appeared visibly flustered by the comment.
Despite the awkward moment, the cast remained composed. Na Hong Jin calmly responded to a follow-up question asking whether he cast married couple Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender as a “package deal.”
“No,” the director replied with a smile. “We worked very hard to cast each person individually. It really wasn’t like that.”
The response reportedly drew laughter from the room and helped ease the tension.
After the press conference, several reporters were said to be discussing the incident and trying to identify the journalist behind the comment.
Later, Vikander also addressed the casting speculation in an interview, saying Na Hong Jin contacted her and Fassbender separately for the film.
“That was actually the most professional way to do it,” she said, adding that neither of them knew the other had been approached at the time.
Hope follows a police outpost chief stationed near the Korean Demilitarized Zone who is pulled into a terrifying mystery after reports of a tiger appearing in a nearby village.
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