Hope is already making history before it reaches theaters.
The Cannes buzz title has been pre-sold to more than 200 countries and territories for the highest overseas sales price ever recorded for a Korean film, distributor Plus M Entertainment announced May 29th.
The pre-sales alone have already recovered nearly half of the film’s net production budget, giving Hope a strong head start ahead of its domestic release and global rollout.
Invited to the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Hope became one of the hottest titles at the festival’s film market, closing deals across every major country and territory tied to Korean film sales. The “sold out” status quickly became a major talking point in Cannes, where the film also drew strong attention from international press and critics.
Its global distribution lineup includes major players such as NEON for North America and other English-speaking markets, MUBI for Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Türkiye and Latin America, Focus Features and Universal Pictures International France for France, the Benelux region and South Africa, and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for Portugal, Scandinavia, Iceland, Israel and the Middle East.
Across Asia and other regions, Hope has also partnered with distributors including GAGA in Japan, The World Pictures in the CIS region, Golden Scene in Hong Kong, Cai Chang in Taiwan, Pioneer in the Philippines, CGV Vietnam in Vietnam and Clover Films in Singapore, among others.
The current figure represents only the minimum guarantee, meaning the film could bring in even more through revenue-sharing once it opens overseas. With domestic box office and additional rights still ahead, Hope has already built a powerful profit structure before release.
Directed by Na Hong Jin, Hope follows Beom Seok, the head of a branch office in Hopo Port near the Demilitarized Zone, whose quiet village is thrown into chaos after local young men report seeing a tiger. As the entire town goes on high alert, Beom Seok finds himself facing an unbelievable reality.
The film is set to open in Korea this summer, followed by a North American release in September and a wider global rollout.
Source: Plus M Entertainment
