Photos: “Wailing” Director’s Sci-Fi Thriller “Hope”
The first photos are out for South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin’s new sci-fi thriller “Hope” which will be part of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival’s Official Competition.
The project marks Na’s first feature since 2016’s widely hailed supernatural masterpiece “The Wailing”. Cinematographer Alex Hong (“Parasite,” “Burning,” The Wailing”) lenses the film.
The story begins in the isolated village of Hope Harbor, not far from the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Reports of a tiger sighting prompt the arrogant but duty-bound local police chief (Hwang Jung-min) to investigate.
But what begins as a simple rural emergency quickly snowballs into something far stranger — a cosmic mystery that tears the town’s sense of reality apart.
Zo In-sung portrays Sung-ki, a young local who passes his days hunting and fishing. Hoyeon appears as Sung-ae, a tenacious officer who remains steadfast in her duties.
Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton all appear as aliens whose arrival brings waves of paranoia and terror amongst the populace.
NEON has acquired North American rights ahead of the festival premiere.
First images from Na Hong-Jin’s Cannes-bound HOPE (which don’t come close to revealing the true craziness that was displayed in the teaser trailer that played #CinemaCon): pic.twitter.com/D81lJlvnda
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) April 30, 2026