Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Hope’ Just Made Us Box Office History, Beating Even ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ on Opening Day

Korean cinema has had a defining presence in American theaters ever since ‘Parasite’ swept the Oscars back in 2019, but few Korean-language releases since then have matched that film’s box office ambition. Neon, the distributor behind that historic win, has been quietly building toward another major moment ever since.

That moment arrived with director Na Hong-jin’s long-awaited return to filmmaking. Known for 2016’s acclaimed horror film ‘The Wailing,’ Na spent nearly a decade away from features before unveiling ‘Hope,’ a sprawling creature thriller that premiered at Cannes to a six-minute standing ovation and deeply divided critical reactions.

Neon went all in on the film’s U.S. rollout, giving it the widest domestic theatrical release for a Korean-language film since ‘Parasite’ itself, opening in roughly 1,500 to 1,560 theaters nationwide on September 9. That’s a dramatically different strategy than ‘Parasite’s’ original limited release of just three theaters, which later expanded to over 2,000 screens as word of mouth grew.

That bet paid off in a major way. ‘Hope’ pulled in a strong $1.1 million on its Wednesday opening day, actually beating out ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s’ opening-day numbers from the previous day, despite playing in a fraction of the screens Sony’s blockbuster occupies. It’s a genuinely remarkable feat for a subtitled, three-hour Korean genre film going head-to-head with one of the year’s biggest superhero releases.

That U.S. debut follows an already record-breaking run back home. ‘Hope’ set the record for the biggest single-day opening of 2026 in South Korea, pulling in roughly $2.5 million from over 333,000 admissions on its July 15 debut, eventually growing into the eighth-biggest film of the year domestically and reportedly the most expensive Korean film ever produced.

Set in the fictional coastal village of Hope Harbor near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the film follows police chief Bum-seok, played by Hwang Jung-min, and officer Sung-ae, played by Jung Ho-yeon, as they investigate a mysterious creature terrorizing the town. Zo In-sung leads a group of hunters who set out to track the beast, only to find themselves hunted instead, while Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton round out the cast in roles tied to the film’s alien mystery.

Ahead of its wide release, Neon also held a one-day early screening event on September 7 across 175 premium theaters nationwide, giving audiences their first taste of the film in formats like Dolby Cinema, 4DX, and ScreenX. According to reporting, several of those early screenings sold out entirely, with advance ticket sales pointing toward the strong opening the film ultimately delivered.

Na has already teased the possibility of expanding the story further if ‘Hope’ finds an audience. “When you watch the film, you can readily imagine a sequel,” Na told TheWrap at Cannes. “There’s a script that’s already been written, and if I have an opportunity, I’d love to make a sequel if possible.”

Given how strongly ‘Hope’ has performed both domestically and now internationally, that sequel talk suddenly feels a lot less hypothetical. For Neon, the film’s opening-day success represents another significant vote of confidence in Korean genre filmmaking’s ability to cross over into mainstream American theaters.

With ‘Hope’ already outpacing one of the biggest blockbusters of the year on its opening day, the film’s full box office trajectory over its opening weekend will be worth watching closely.

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