"Hope" surpassed 2 million cumulative viewers at a rapid pace.
The film "Hope" (director and screenwriter Na Hong-jin, produced by Forged Films, co-produced by Plus M Entertainment·Westworld Co., distributed by Plus M Entertainment), which set this year's shortest record by surpassing 1 million viewers within three days of release, has surpassed 2 million viewers.
Since its release, the film "Hope" has maintained steady box office momentum, and on its fifth day of release, July 19 (Sun) around 1 p.m., it surpassed 2 million viewers. This pace once again set the year's shortest record, faster than Colony, which surpassed 2 million on its fifth evening, and The King's Warden, which surpassed that milestone in 12 days. "Hope," which is being noted as this year's hottest topic, showed the strength to exceed 2 million viewers over its opening weekend after setting the 2026 shortest record by surpassing 1 million viewers in three days.
In particular, various viewing points of the film are creating buzz among audiences, drawing attention to the box office momentum that "Hope" will continue. First is the positive response to the humor that cuts through tight tension. Scenes such as the argument between Beom-seok and Nak-yeon while searching the town together, and the scene in which Hae-sul recounts what he witnessed, relieve the taut tension and elicit unexpected laughter from the audience.
In addition, cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo's use of natural light to capture mise-en-scène and the original action sequences unfolding within it have provoked a strong response among viewers. Moreover, the detailed art direction that transformed diverse locations from Romania, Haenam, Jeju Island and Hapcheon into a single space called Hopo Port amplifies immersion in the film.
Unlike existing films that mostly introduce creatures at night or in dark spaces, the overwhelming impact of creatures appearing in bright daylight has received praise. It is being evaluated as presenting a new paradigm for Korean cinema by realizing a scale and original imagery on screen that had not been seen in Korean film.
The actors' fearless performances that completed the overwhelming action scenes have also drawn praise from audiences. From Hwang Jung-min's sprinting action as Beom-seok, who led the film's early part, to Zo In-sung's horseback action and chase scenes as Seong-gi, these have been hot topics on social media every day. In particular, Jung Ho-yeon obtained a class 1 license immediately after casting for the car-chase scenes and, after training in drifting and j-turns, performed the film's car chase action herself, delivering a thrilling shudder to audiences.
Finally, the debates among audiences over the ending, which prompts various interpretations, demonstrate the strong interest in the film. From the meaning contained in the alien's lines in the movie to the characters' backgrounds and relationships and stories thereafter, a variety of interpretations from viewers have poured out, and the enthusiasm for multiple rewatchings has been strong since the first week of release.
Moreover, "Hope" has received a variety of favorable reviews praising its overwhelming scale, unpredictable rhythm, and original action. Audience members who watched "Hope" said, I am convinced by this film. Na Hong-jin himself is a genre (WatchaPedia_Yu****); my jaw dropped. This is a theater experience (Megabox_so****); a film that makes you unable to take your eyes off the screen (CGV_Yonggamhan****); I couldn't even eat half my popcorn because I was holding my breath (CGV_Ze****); by far the best film I've seen this year (CGV_Ro****); I almost shrank from tension. It's more fun than expected (Lotte Cinema_Yu****), pouring out praise for the feast of sights and sounds. Amid audiences' enthusiastic responses, "Hope," continuing its screening momentum, is expected to heat up theaters even more this summer on the back of surpassing 2 million viewers.
Meanwhile, "Hope" is a production that spent more than 70 billion won on production costs, marking the highest production budget in Korean film history. The breakeven point is known to be about 7 million viewers, and the current box office pace is attracting attention faster than Colony and The King's Warden.
[Photo] Plus M Entertainment, Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network provided
[OSEN]