Neon Buys Korean Thriller ‘Hope’ Ahead of Cannes Premiere

“Hope,” a sci-fi thriller from Korean auteur Na Hong-jin, has sold to Neon ahead of its Cannes Film Festival premiere.

According to the logline, “Hope” follows a police officer who is alerted to the news that a tiger has appeared in the hills, sending the town into chaos. But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.

The cast includes South Korean stars Hwang Jung-min (“Narcos Saints,” “The Wailing”), Zo In-sung (“Moving”) and Hoyeon (“Disclaimer,” “Squid Game”), as well as Michael Fassbender (“The Killer,” “12 Years a Slave”), Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl,” “Ex Machina”), Taylor Russell (“Bones and All,” “Waves”) and Cameron Britton (“The Umbrella Academy,” “Mindhunter”).

“I’m deeply grateful to the actors for taking on these roles and delivering such dedicated performances,” Na said when the project was announced last year. “They conveyed everything this film set out to capture with remarkable talent and focus. I have felt this every time, but their collective presence is truly extraordinary.”

This is the filmmaker’s follow-up to the 2016 box office smash hit “The Wailing.” He’s credited for helping to redefine Korean genre cinema with projects like “The Yellow Sea” and “The Chaser.”

Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux teased “Hope” during the annual press conference to reveal the festival’s lineup, saying Na’s newest cinematic venture is “constantly changes genres” to capture a story of “no part of history that’s ever been told before.”

Neon has become the darling of Cannes, having won the coveted Palme d’Or a record consecutive six years. The prize-winning titles include “It Was Just an Accident,” “Anora,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane” and “Parasite.” Two of those, “Anora” and “Parasite,” went on to capture the Oscar for best picture.

The deal was negotiated by UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers with Sarah Colvin, Neon’s vice president of acquisitions, representing the studio.