Director Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope (HOPE)' continued its box office run in its second week, maintaining the top spot. This film, which has emerged as another "controversial work" in Korean film history, is expected to have its performance this weekend serve as a test of whether it can aim for the "10 million admissions" milestone.
On the 24th, according to the Korean Integrated Computerized Ticketing System, Hope attracted 115,010 moviegoers nationwide in a single day, holding onto the No. 1 spot at the box office. That brought the cumulative audience to 2,648,443, as it has maintained the lead since its release and solidified its dominant box office run.
Notably, a steady flow of more than 100,000 daily viewers even on weekdays has drawn attention. At this pace, it is likely to surpass 3 million admissions this weekend without difficulty. Currently, Hope's box office speed even lightly surpasses the records of the big-budget films Colony and The King's Warden, which heated up theaters in the first half of this year, drawing further attention.
A major variable exists ahead: the arrival of strong foreign competition. As of 9 a.m. that morning, the blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens on the 30th, led real-time reservations with 49.8% of advance sales. Hope marked second with a 25% reservation rate. Attention is focused on whether Hope can maintain its ticket power amid the onslaught of foreign films or whether the two major releases will create a win-win scenario that doubles box office traffic.
From the planning stage, Hope drew attention as a mega project with production costs exceeding 70 billion won, the highest amount in Korean film history. Its break-even point alone is a massive scale, reaching about 7 million admissions.
Given the huge investment, its mass appeal was a critical question, and early reactions from critics and audiences split sharply. Owing to Na Hong-jin's grotesque yet provocative direction, moviegoers leaving the theater were left baffled, commenting "what on earth did I just see." Some feared that this intense divide in likes and dislikes and the word-of-mouth could derail its box office trajectory.
But over time, that intense controversy appears to have further stoked public curiosity and ignited the film's success. When film critic Lee Dong-jin gave it a high rating of 4 out of 5 stars, heated debates erupted among viewers, and the discourse surrounding the film itself has turned into a cultural phenomenon.
Hope begins when the head of the Branch Office at Hopohang in the demilitarized zone, Beom-seok, confronts an almost unbelievable reality that a tiger has appeared in the village. Na Hong-jin's signature suffocating suspense and an unpredictable plot unfolding in an isolated setting squeeze the audience's hearts and deliver an overwhelming screen presence. Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon and Eum Moon-seok star in the film.
The director intended to convey a weighty message that probes human nature and the essence of fear beyond a simple monster movie. Industry attention is focused on whether Hope can convert controversy itself into complete box office energy, pass this weekend's test, cross the break-even point and break through the "10 million" admissions mark.
[Photo] Hope poster
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