Director Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi thriller film “Hope” will vie for the top honor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival set to begin Tuesday, alongside 21 other titles invited to the competition section of the 79th edition of the prestigious film awards. “Hope” is the first Korean film in four years to compete for the Palme d’Or since renowned director Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” and “Broker” by award-winning Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, produced by Korean companies and starring Korean actors, were both invited for competition in 2022. The blockbuster portrays the sudden appearance of mysterious entities in a small coastal town near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, with Hwang Jung-min playing a local police chief and Zo In-sung appearing as a villager. The movie’s star-studded cast also includes “Squid Game” star Jung Ho-yeon and Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell. “Hope” is set to have its global premiere in Cannes on Sunday, with Na and the cast expected to attend a red carpet event during the festival set to run through May 23 in
May 12, 2026
