Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' nears 400,000 pre-sale tickets, set for No. 1 debut

Director Na Hong-jin's new film 'Hope' is poised for a strong opening, with pre-sale ticket reservations approaching 400,000. As of 7 a.m. on July 13, the film had secured approximately 374,500 pre-sale tickets, placing it firmly in the number one spot on the reservation charts. This impressive figure makes 'Hope' the film with the highest pre-sale reservations this year.

Industry projections indicate that 'Hope' will debut at the top of the box office on its release day, July 15. It is currently outselling the second-place film, 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' by more than 3.5 times, which has sold around 101,500 tickets. If this trend continues, 'Hope' is expected to claim the top position on its opening day.

'Hope' marks Na Hong-jin's return to filmmaking after a decade, following his critically acclaimed 2016 film 'The Wailing.' The new movie is a sci-fi action thriller set in Hopo Port, a coastal town adjacent to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The plot centers on a police station chief named Beom-seok, played by Hwang Jung-min, who receives reports from local youths about a tiger appearing in the village.

The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Jo In-sung and Han So-hee from South Korea, as well as international actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. Meanwhile, the weekend box office (July 10-12) was led by 'Moana' with 403,812 viewers, followed by 'The Eye' and 'Toy Story 5.'