‘Hope’ Posts the Best Opening-Day Gross of Any Korean Film Released in France This Year

Director Na Hong-jin’s 〈Hope〉​ posted the highest opening-day gross among Korean films released in France this year. Buoyed by glowing reviews from French media and audiences, 〈Hope〉 also achieved a meaningful box-office milestone, reaffirming the worldwide buzz that has followed the film since its premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

〈Hope〉 opened on 192 screens across France, earning about $800,000 in its opening. It performed particularly well over the opening weekend, ranking No. 2 at the box office in Paris on Saturday, October 31, a key market that accounts for 31% of France’s total box-office revenue. The film’s box-office strength in major French cities continued in Belgium. Opening on 38 screens there, 〈Hope〉 earned about $64,000, significantly outperforming the opening grosses of 〈Decision to Leave〉​ and 〈Burning〉. After a strong start in France and Belgium, 〈Hope〉​ will continue meeting audiences around the world as it expands its box-office run across Europe.

〈Hope〉 begins when Bum-seok, head of the Hopo Port branch office in the Demilitarized Zone, hears from local young people that a tiger has appeared. With the whole village thrown into a state of emergency, he encounters an unbelievable reality. As 〈Hope〉 continues its global box-office run to acclaim from audiences and critics around the world, attention is focused on what it will achieve next.