Poster art, courtesy of NEON. ⓒ 2026 PLUS M ENTERTAINMENT, FORGED FILMS CO LTD, AND NA HONG-JIN. ALL RIGHTS RESERVEDNEON has announced an exclusive early-access premium format screening event for HOPE (호프, Hopeu), the highly anticipated new film from acclaimed filmmaker Na Hong-jin (THE WAILING, THE CHASER), set for Monday, September 7. Two days ahead of its nationwide theatrical release, the film will screen at 175 PLF locations across the country in six premium formats, including Dolby, 4DX, ScreenX, Barco HDR, D-BOX and Dolby Atmos, with participating theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and more.
The special event will give fans an early opportunity to experience the scale and spectacle of Na Hong-jin's latest on premium screens, from its epic action sequences and massive set pieces to its sweeping cinematic sound and scope. One of the year's most anticipated genre events, HOPE has been hailed by The New Yorker as "a jolt of pure, unfiltered blockbuster adrenaline" and by Variety as "the most breathtakingly elegant action moviemaking of this or any year."
With HOPE, NEON builds on the success of its early-access PLF strategy for Osgood Perkins' THE MONKEY, which generated strong word of mouth from advance premium-format screenings before going on to gross $40 million at the box office. The September 7 event expands that approach across six premium formats, offering Na Hong-jin fans nationwide the opportunity to see HOPE in a uniquely cinematic experience ahead of its September 9 theatrical release.
Tickets for the HOPE Early Access Event are on sale now. Purchase tickets HERE.
SHOW INFO
Name: HOPE Premium Early Access
Showtime: 6:30pm, September 7, 2026
Locations: Nationwide
Shot on an epic scale and featuring an international ensemble led by Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender, HOPE has already become one of South Korea’s highest grossing box office release of the year.
Set in the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, HOPE follows police outpost chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) as they investigate a series of violent attacks believed to be the work of a mysterious creature lurking in the nearby forest. As local hunters join the search, the line between predator and prey begins to blur, revealing a story that challenges assumptions about fear, humanity, and the unknown.
Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, HOPE is produced by Forged Films, co-produced by Plus M Entertainment and Westworld, and presented and distributed by Plus M Entertainment. NEON will release the film theatrically in North America beginning September 9, 2026.
About NEON
In only eight years, NEON has garnered 39 Academy Award® nominations (7 this year), 11 total wins (5 this year), including two Best Picture wins, and has grossed over $400M at the box office. The company continues to push boundaries and take creative risks on bold cinema such as Sean Baker’s ANORA, which recently took home five Academy Awards including Best Picture, and was released in theaters to the highest per-screen average of 2024; as well as Bong Joon Ho’s PARASITE, which made history winning four Academy Awards,, becoming the first non-English-language film to claim Best Picture, and grossed over $54M at the domestic box office.
NEON has built an impressive streak winning the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, with six consecutive wins, including ANORA and PARASITE, as well as ANATOMY OF A FALL, TITANE, and TRIANGLE OF SADNESS. In 2024, NEON was named The Hollywood Reporter’s Independent Studio of the Year and received the Clio Award for Studio of the Year.
Recent NEON releases include Osgood Perkins’ horror film THE MONKEY which is based on the short story by Stephen King and marked NEON’s second biggest opening weekend at the box office following Perkins’ LONGLEGS, which is the highest grossing independent film of 2024 at $75 million domestically.
As a burgeoning leader in the production space, NEON’s recent and upcoming in-house productions include: David Robert Mitchell’s THEY FOLLOW starring Maika Monroe; Michael Covino’s SPLITSVILLE starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona; the highly anticipated Boots Riley feature I LOVE BOOSTERS starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, LaKeith Stanfield, Demi Moore, and Eiza González; THE WRONG GIRLS starring Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat; Tilman Singer’s CUCKOO starring Hunter Schafer; and Brandon Cronenberg’s INFINITY POOL. NEON’s international sales outfit handles the company’s in-house titles as well as third party projects.