Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' earns $5M in North America's opening week, lands at #2 behind Nolan's 'Odyssey'
Na Hong-jin's thriller opened on 1,560 screens—the widest North American release for a Korean film since *Parasite*—and earned roughly $5M in its first week.
$5M first week, 1,560 screens
Na Hong-jin's Hope hit 1,560 screens across North America on September 9, pulling in approximately $1.1 million (about 1.5 billion won) on opening day. It landed at #2, behind Christopher Nolan's Odyssey. By day six the total sat at roughly $4.92 million. First-week revenue: approximately $5 million (about 6.8 billion won).
The 1,560-screen rollout marks the largest for a Korean film in North America since Parasite in 2019. Hope also cracked the North American weekend box office top 10 as a non-English-language Asian live-action film.
What the film is
Hope centers on Beom-seok, head of the Hopogang outpost in the demilitarized zone. Local youths bring him word of a tiger nearby. The village goes on alert. He confronts a reality he can barely believe. The film opened in Korea in July and drew approximately 4.57 million admissions domestically.
Na described the creative logic behind the genre shifts: "I didn't want it to become a film within the range that audiences could predict, so I made edits and designs such as changing genres and adding comedy when it seemed predictable."
The press tour
Promotion in North America started September 7. Na Hong-jin, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon attended a screening red carpet in New York on September 8, then moved through Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco.
Jo In-sung kept it straightforward: "I did this because I really wanted to work with director Na Hong-jin." Jung Ho-yeon said the shoot pushed her into new territory. "I was able to attempt many things I hadn't tried before and could expand my imagination."
American critics ate. The New York Times wrote that Na "transforms full-speed driving, rushing, and even horseback riding scenes as elegantly as ballet." The San Francisco Chronicle pointed to his command of pacing, reversals, and action. The Daily Beast called it "overwhelming imagination and artistry, relentless rushing." Chicago Reader credited the film's "relentless movement" for sustaining its energy. Four outlets, four raves—a clean sweep for a Korean-language release in this market.
Na is scheduled to continue meeting audiences in Austin and San Francisco.
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