NEON has released a new trailer for Hope, the upcoming science-fiction thriller from South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, with Fassbender and Vikander appearing as extraterrestrial invaders. After premiering at Cannes earlier this year, Hope is set to arrive in cinemas on 9 September 2026.
Written and directed by Na, best known for The Wailing, Hope follows a remote South Korean village thrown into fear after a mysterious creature wreaks havoc nearby. Police chief Bum-seok, played by Hwang Jung-min, and officer Sung-ae, played by Hoyeon, are called to investigate, while a group of local hunters, including Zo In-sung’s Sung-ki, head into the forest to track the beast themselves.
Naturally, that goes about as well as expected… The trailer quickly moves from eerie small-town mystery into full-scale alien panic, as the village realises the threat is beyond anything they were prepared for.
Cameron Britton also appears, with Taylor Russell part of the film’s international ensemble. Fassbender and Vikander’s roles add another intriguing layer, marking their first film together since The Light Between Oceans.
Hope arrives as one of the most anticipated Korean genre films of the year, with Na returning to feature filmmaking after The Wailing. The film played in competition at Cannes and has already drawn attention for its scale, genre mix and high-energy approach to alien invasion cinema.
For CultureCues, this is a seriously exciting film drop. Na Hong-jin already knows how to build dread, and Hope seems to be taking that tension into bigger sci-fi territory. Fassbender and Vikander as extraterrestrial invaders is a very strong hook, but the real pull here is seeing a filmmaker like Na go full alien-invasion thriller. We are very much looking forward to this one. Nervously, but still.
Hope arrives in cinemas on 9 September 2026.
CultureCues Editorial is the house byline for short-form entertainment news, trailer updates, release announcements and industry coverage. All CultureCues content is overseen by founder and editor Nikki Murray.