Director Na Hong-jin confirms 'Hope' will not stream on OTT

Director Na Hong-jin has firmly stated that his latest film, 'Hope,' will not be released on Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms. "We have no plans to screen 'Hope' on OTT platforms yet," Na announced during a special audience Q&A session held with director Kim Jee-woon at Megabox COEX in Seoul.

Kim Jee-woon, who moderated the event, praised 'Hope,' describing it as a film that powerfully and dazzlingly demonstrates "cinematic cinema." He felt as if he was entering a world led by Na Hong-jin, wishing the 2.5-hour runtime could have been longer. Responding to questions about the film's conception, Na explained his intention was to "look at the current state of human beings from a cosmic perspective." Kim added that the film captures human ignorance in the face of incomprehensible beings and irrationality, driving a spectacle of immense movement.

During the audience Q&A, Na elaborated on the character development, stating, "I wanted to portray a feeling of a living creature that doesn't die even when killed and continues to wriggle, and I wanted to express that through the characters' aggressive eating habits." When asked about the film's potential OTT release, Na reiterated his commitment, saying, "I will do my best until the very last day."

'Hope' tells the story of Beom-seok, the head of a district office in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), who receives news from local youths about a tiger's appearance. The film unfolds as the entire village is thrown into emergency, and Beom-seok confronts unbelievable realities. The movie features a star-studded cast including Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, and Alicia Vikander. This marks Na Hong-jin's first directorial work in approximately 10 years since 'The Chaser' (2008), 'The Yellow Sea' (2010), and 'The Wailing' (2016). The film has been critically acclaimed, having been invited to the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, further solidifying Na's reputation as a leading Korean director, with all four of his films having been invited to Cannes.