Na Hong-Jin’s ‘Hope’, which premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival, has made a stunning impact on the Korean box office. According to data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the film has surpassed 2 million admissions on its five-day opening weekend in Korea, faster than any film released so far this year.
The film, which opened on July 15 ahead of the three-day Constitution Day holiday weekend, passed the 2 million admissions benchmark during the day on Sunday. This achievement is even more impressive considering that it outpaced the opening of Yeon Sang-ho’s ‘Colony’, which debuted in Cannes Special Screenings, and passed the 2 million benchmark on the evening of its fifth day.
Na Hong-Jin’s ‘Hope’ has sparked significant debate amongst audiences, with 53% of viewers giving it a 9 or 10 rating on Naver, while around a quarter took issue with the lack of world-building, high levels of profanity, and ambiguous ending. The film has also drawn comparisons to Na’s 2016 occult thriller ‘The Wailing’, which was also a polarizing film but drew close to seven million admissions.
One factor that may have contributed to the film’s success is the Korean government’s decision to issue a new round of discount coupons offering $3.90 (KRW6,000) off a ticket just one week before the film’s release. This move is likely to have encouraged more people to visit the cinema and experience the film for themselves.
The film has also sparked significant interest due to its star-studded cast, which includes Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, and Alicia Vikander. The film’s tale of a small Korean town that encounters an invasion of powerful extraterrestrial beings has captivated audiences and left them eager to find out more.
With the film’s success, it is clear that the Korean film industry is on the rise. Plus M Entertainment, the distributor of ‘Hope’, is one of a group of companies under JoongAng Group that recently filed for bankruptcy protection. However, with the success of ‘Hope’, it is likely that the company will be able to recover and continue to produce high-quality films in the future.
Other films that opened at the Korean box office over the weekend include ‘Minions & Monsters’, which came in second with 308,576 admissions, followed by live-action ‘Moana’ with 173,555 admissions on its second weekend, and ‘Toy Story 5’, which opened June 17, with 114,718 admissions.
