Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' surpasses 1 million admissions just 3 days after release

Director Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope' has surpassed 1 million viewers just three days after its release, recording the fastest box office pace of the year. This figure surpasses 'Gunche,' which exceeded 1 million viewers in four days. At the Guest Visit (GV) held at Megabox COEX in Seoul on the 16th, Director Na Hong-jin and Director Jang Jae-hyun sat together to share behind-the-scenes stories of the work.

"A movie completed by the audience instead of a conclusion"

Director Na Hong-jin revealed a clear subjective view regarding the film's directing method. He explained that "'Hope' is a work that tried to get very close to the audience," stating there was no intention to twist or make it difficult. However, he made it clear that he did not want to make a movie where every audience member reaches the same conclusion.

"In the process of making a movie, I design it so that everyone can perceive and feel it differently," Director Na explained. He added, "Rather than me deciding the conclusion, I want to make a movie where each and every audience member simply completes this movie and draws their own conclusion."

Director Jang Jae-hyun, who also attended, expressed respect for Director Na's working method. Director Jang said, "From the perspective of someone preparing a work, I gained enlightenment after watching 'Hope,'" and added, "Nowadays, most people want to hear conclusions quickly and tend to be buried in consequentialism through media like YouTube, but I felt envious of Director Na's faithfulness to the process and thought it was truly important."

As for his impressions of watching 'Hope,' Director Jang reported feeling such chaos that his mind became a mess during the 2-hour 36-minute runtime. He said, "I was overwhelmed by the visuals, sound, and worldview that made me feel it would be worth the money for those coming to the theater," and mentioned that during his second viewing, he felt a sense of pity from the perspective of the aliens.

Confirmation of the dog 'Monkey's' survival and the alien worldview

Unexpected questions that piqued the curiosity of the audience also arose at the scene. In response to a question asking about the whereabouts of the dog 'Monkey,' who followed the group of Seong-gi played by Jo In-sung in the film, Director Na Hong-jin burst into laughter and gave a definitive answer. Director Na induced laughter from the audience by replying, "'Monkey' is definitely alive and doing well now," and "Not a single hair on him was harmed."

As Director Jang Jae-hyun's questions continued, detailed settings of the work were also revealed. Director Na explained the settings, hierarchy, and relationships of the alien characters in the film, elaborating on the work's worldview in detail.

Return after 10 years, the SF thriller chosen by Cannes

The film 'Hope' is an SF action thriller depicting the process where Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo Port branch office near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), faces an unbelievable reality after hearing news from the village youths that a tiger has appeared. This is the new work released by Director Na Hong-jin, who established a unique style through 'The Chaser' (2008), 'The Yellow Sea' (2010), and 'The Wailing' (2016), after about 10 years.

The artistic quality has already been verified on the international stage. 'Hope' has entered the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Director Na will also attend Comic-Con held in San Diego, USA, on the 23rd.