Director Na Hong-jin's new film Hope (HOPE) unveiled its teaser poster for the first time ahead of its summer 2026 release.
Unlike a typical movie poster, the teaser poster for Hope (written and directed by Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films, distributed by Plus M Entertainment) is a special poster completed by capturing a single frame from the actual film.
The cut used in the teaser poster captures the moment in a deep forest when a person on a galloping horse grabs the nape of a young man who was running from an alien, saving him from danger. Filmed at Romania's Retezat National Park, this scene was a high-difficulty shoot that required perfect alignment of the actor, the horse, wires and the camera with no margin for error.
For this single cut, the actors and crew underwent five months of training in Korea and three months of pre-tests, and then spent two months adapting on location. Cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo carefully considered the forest light and environment to make maximum use of natural light. Even under the demanding conditions of 120-frame high-speed shooting in natural light, the Hope crew completed this cut with perfect timing in half a day through thorough preparation and seamless coordination.
This teaser poster, notable for its raw audacity and sense of speed, encapsulates Hope's unique action style and raises expectations for the new cinematic experience that Na Hong-jin, the director of The Wailing who has repeatedly changed the paradigm of Korean cinema, will present.
Hope drew global attention with a international cast featuring leading domestic and foreign actors. Hwang Jung-min plays Beom-seok, the arrogant but responsible Branch Office chief of Hopohang; Jo In-sung plays Seong-gi, a village youth who passes the time with hunting and fishing; Jung Ho-yeon plays Seong-ae, the Hopohang police officer who does her duty in any situation. And trusted Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, RUSSELL, and Cameron Britton portray the alien characters.
Hope begins when Beom-seok, the Branch Office chief of Hopohang located in the Demilitarized Zone, hears reports from local youths that a tiger has appeared, and the whole village goes on alert as they confront an unbelievable reality. Hope, a work that director Na Hong-jin painstakingly prepared over a long period and that has captivated audiences and critics with its tightly constructed original story and striking visuals, is currently in postproduction and will meet audiences in theaters in summer 2026.
[Photo] Plus M Entertainment
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