Directors Na Hong-jin and Yeon Sang-ho Shine at Cannes and Box Office

Two directors whose films were invited to the Cannes Film Festival are now leading the charge at the box office, with Na Hong-jin's "Hope" premiering and generating significant buzz.

"Hope," which opened on July 15, tells the story of Beom-seok, the head of a remote outpost in the demilitarized zone, who encounters an unbelievable reality after hearing reports of a tiger's appearance. This marks Na Hong-jin's first film in 10 years since "The Wailing" (2016) and was an official selection in the competition category at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Na Hong-jin, who rose to fame with "The Chaser" (2007), has had all four of his feature films, including "The Yellow Sea" (2010), "The Wailing," and "Hope," officially invited to Cannes.

Na Hong-jin is known for his genre films that deeply engage audiences, exploring themes of human evil and nature. While "The Chaser" and "The Yellow Sea" are crime thrillers, "The Wailing" is an occult film, and "Hope" is a science fiction story. His works have achieved considerable commercial success, with "The Chaser" drawing over 5 million viewers, "The Wailing" over 6.8 million, and "The Yellow Sea" over 2.2 million.

"Hope" has been met with high expectations, breaking pre-sale records with over 370,000 tickets sold. It also set a new opening day record, attracting 333,918 viewers, and surpassed 1 million viewers within three days of its release.

Prior to "Hope," Yeon Sang-ho's "The Host" held the record for the fastest film to reach 1 million viewers this year, drawing nearly 6 million viewers by July 17. "The Host," invited to the Midnight Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, is Yeon Sang-ho's latest work. He has been invited to Cannes four times, including for "The King of Pigs" (2012), "Train to Busan" (2016), and "Peninsula" (2020). Yeon Sang-ho has built a unique cinematic universe known as the 'Yeoniverse,' which extends to his work on OTT series and dramas. His recent Netflix series "Gassman," co-produced with Japan's Toho Studio, has also received positive reviews.