'Hope' Explodes: Pre-sale Tickets Surpass 570,000, Setting This Year's Record

Director Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope' is signaling a massive box office hit, with pre-sale tickets surpassing 570,000 on its release day.

According to the Korean Film Council's box office data on July 15, 'Hope' ranks first in both categories with a 67.1% reservation rate and 570,000 tickets sold. Among all films released in 2026, 'Hope' is the first, including both domestic and foreign titles, to exceed 500,000 pre-sale tickets.

This momentum is reminiscent of the scenes seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, when major Korean tentpole films dominated the summer market. The anticipation for Director Na Hong-jin's new project, combined with the star-studded cast including Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, and Hollywood actors, is drawing audiences to theaters. The enthusiastic response from the local audience when the film was screened in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival last May has also significantly heightened curiosity about the movie.

'Hope' belongs to the sci-fi genre, which has not previously shown explosive commercial success in the domestic market. While it is classified as sci-fi because it features aliens, it is, more accurately, an action film. It is garnering attention as a work that showcases the essence of a "theatrical film," providing a level of thrill and adrenaline never before seen in Korean cinema.

Director Na Hong-jin, along with actors Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon, will meet with audiences by touring stages in Seoul and other regions from today, July 15, through the third week of the film's release.



Reported by Kim Ji-hye | Produced by SBS Entertainment News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.