Na Hong-jin's film 'Hope' shatters South Korea pre‑sale record

Director Na Hong‑jin's sci‑fi thriller ‘Hope’ has recorded the highest advance ticket sales for any South Korean film in 2026, with 381,107 reservations and a 61 % pre‑sale rate two days before its July 15 opening. The film surpassed previous benchmarks set by domestic blockbusters and outpaced current Hollywood releases such as ‘Spider‑Man: Brand New Day’.

‘Hope’ opened the Cannes competition in May and returned to Korean screens with a wide format rollout, including IMAX, Dolby Atmos, SCREENX and 4DX. The movie’s strong performance is crucial for distributor Plus M Entertainment, whose parent JoongAng Group recently filed for bankruptcy protection, and for the government’s culture‑ministry ticket‑coupon program that aims to boost summer attendance. Critics have praised the film’s action set‑pieces and genre‑blending storytelling, raising expectations that the record‑breaking advance sales will translate into a box‑office hit for the most expensive Korean production to date.