Neon has released the official U.S. trailer for Hope, the upcoming South Korean sci-fi action horror film from Na Hong-jin, the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Chaser, The Yellow Sea and The Wailing. The new trailer is a little more restrained with what it shows of the monsters than the recent international trailer, but it still delivers another high-energy, enticing look at Na’s ambitious alien creature feature. Watch the trailer above and read on for more details.
Hope U.S. Trailer Teases Monsters, Panic and a Town Under Siege
Set in the remote coastal community of Hope Harbor, the film begins with strange reports around the area before quickly escalating into something far more dangerous. Police, hunters and residents are soon caught in the middle of a nightmare as mysterious alien creatures wreak havoc on the isolated town.
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While the international trailer showed a little more of the extraterrestrial threat, Neon’s U.S. trailer keeps the monsters slightly more in the shadows. The emphasis here is on panic and momentum: gunfire, chases, terrified locals, dark buildings and the sense of a community rapidly losing control.
There are also a few new character beats, including an amusing moment where two men try to psych themselves up before entering a building where a monster is hiding. “We go on three,” one says. They count to three, and… neither moves. “Son of a bitch. I knew it!” one tells the other.
Na Hong-jin Goes Big with Alien Horror
The appeal here is seeing Na Hong-jin take his bruising, escalation-heavy style into full sci-fi monster-movie territory. After the nerve-shredding thrillers The Chaser and The Yellow Sea, and the feverish rural nightmare of The Wailing, Hope looks like the filmmaker working on a much bigger genre canvas.
The film premiered in competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it sparked divided reactions, although the critical response is currently leaning positive overall. At the time of writing, Hope is sitting on an 80% critics score with 40 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Hope stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and Squid Game breakout Jung Ho-yeon, with Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender also in the cast. Vikander and Fassbender, who are married in real life, play extraterrestrial beings.
When Will Hope Be Released?
Hope is scheduled to open in South Korea on July 15. Neon will release the film in U.S. cinemas on September 9, followed by Australian cinemas on September 10 and New Zealand cinemas on September 17.
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