Neon to release Korean monster film ‘Hope’ in 1,500 U.S. theaters

Neon has announced a wide U.S. theatrical release for the South Korean monster film ‘Hope’, set to open in 1,500 theaters on September 9. This marks the studio’s largest domestic release for a Korean-language film since the 2019 Oscar winner ‘Parasite’.

Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, the film is set in the remote village of Hope Harbor, where a mysterious creature causes widespread destruction. The story follows a police chief and local hunters who become the hunted as they attempt to track the beast. The film features an ensemble cast including Hwang Jung-min, Hoyeon, Zo In-sung, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.

Critical reception has been mixed; while some praise the film’s suspenseful opening and action sequences, others have noted issues with the CGI creature and the film’s lengthy runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes. Na Hong-jin has indicated that a sequel script is already written should the film prove successful.