Hope, Na Hong-jin’s epic creature feature, has arrived in theaters from NEON. In a recent interview, the director outlined a plan for a sequel that would pivot the narrative toward the aliens and conclude before sunrise, extending the story beyond the film’s abrupt finale.
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Premise of a potential sequel
“The story that comes afterward would shift to the aliens’ perspective, with night falling and the new film ending before sunrise,” Na Hong-jin said. “At the very end of Hope, humans protect what’s theirs; the aliens aim to protect their offspring. A collision between these viewpoints could form the heart of a second chapter.”
He compared the concept to a more mature, extended iteration of a dynamic similar to Before Sunrise, calling the idea “way cooler.”
Hope Harbor and the ensemble
The film’s title derives from its setting, Hope Harbor, where a mysterious creature wreaks havoc and forces local authorities to confront a larger threat. The cast includes Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton. Shot on a large scale, Hope has become one of the year’s highest-grossing releases in South Korea, and NEON released it to theaters this weekend.
Next steps depend on audience response
“Here’s to hoping enough of us see Hope to get that sequel,” the interview concluded. For now, Hope remains a large-scale creature feature in theaters, with a director’s intention to pursue a sequel that shifts to the aliens’ perspective and ends before sunrise.
