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The clock above counts down to Hope, Na Hong-jin's first feature since 2016's The Wailing, pairing Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender for a Korean-set summer 2026 release.
Hope is Na Hong-jin's long-awaited return to feature direction, marking his first project in a decade. The plot is being kept under wraps but has been described as a supernatural-tinged drama set partially in rural Korea, with the Western-language casting of Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender signaling the director's first attempt at a multilingual, internationally co-financed production.
Na Hong-jin's three previous features — The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and The Wailing — established him as one of world cinema's most distinctive auteurs, with The Wailing in particular building a global cult following over the last decade. Expectations for Hope are accordingly high, with the project handled by Showbox in Korea and likely a major international specialty distributor abroad.
Na's films share a fascination with violence, evil, and the limits of moral certainty. The Wailing's slow-burn structure, willingness to leave plot ambiguities unresolved, and willingness to commit fully to genre extremity have all shaped global art-house horror over the last decade. Hope is expected to land in the same register but with a more international lens, given the Vikander and Fassbender casting.
Hope is targeting a summer 2026 release window in South Korea, with international bookings expected in tandem at major art-house specialty exhibitors.
For more 2026 Korean theatrical events, see the Humint countdown for Ryoo Seung-wan's Lunar New Year tentpole.
When does Hope release? Summer 2026 (window pending exact date confirmation). Who directs Hope? Na Hong-jin, his first feature since The Wailing in 2016. Who stars in Hope? Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender, with a Korean ensemble. What language is Hope in? A multilingual co-production — primarily Korean and English.
