Michael Fassbender’s Korean sci-fi is now third in America behind only Parasite — and its director wants a trilogy
Na Hong-jin's film has taken $7 million in the US and $44 million worldwide against a $46 million budget.
Let’s get into this: Michael Fassbender’s latest dip into sci-fi, the Korean film Hope, has quietly pulled off something rare when it comes to foreign films in the US—while also being a bit of a mixed bag financially, at least for now. This is one of those interesting box office stories where the numbers get debated just as much as the film’s actual quality. If you follow Korean movies or just like seeing how international fare stacks up in the States, this one’s worth a closer look.
Hope is now officially the third biggest Korean film ever at the US box office, behind only The King of Kings and Parasite.
Korean Sci-Fi Makes a Mark
So, here’s the gist: Hope is directed by Na Hong-jin (of The Wailing fame), and since it landed stateside on 9 September, it’s managed to take in about $7 million at the domestic box office. That number puts it ahead of Bong Joon-ho’s action spectacle Snowpiercer—which felt like the ceiling for Korean sci-fi in America for a decade—with Snowpiercer’s US lifetime earnings sitting at $4.56 million.
The only two Korean-made films ahead of Hope in the US are both absolute monsters: the animated The King of Kings is untouchable at $83.5 million (how on Earth did so many people see that?), and Bong’s Parasite, which strolled off with a few Oscars, made $53.8 million here. Hope isn’t exactly in that league, but third place on a list that barely ever shifts is nothing to sneeze at.
Global Tally and the Sequel Plan
Zooming out, worldwide numbers tell a slightly different tale. Hope has brought in about $44 million globally, with more than $35 million of that coming from its home market of South Korea. Here’s the rub: the film was made for a reported $46 million, so while it’s within striking distance of breaking even, nobody’s rushing out to pop champagne in the boardroom just yet.
Still, director Na Hong-jin is acting like it’s full steam ahead. Chatting with The Hollywood Reporter, he made it pretty clear he’s not done with this world just yet:
As I was developing the story, it got longer, and I realized I would need at least a sequel, or maybe three films, to tell the whole thing.
On top of that, he’s promising a tonal shift for the next film—apparently the first outing was all daylight, but ‘the sun is setting’ as we reach the end, hinting that things are about to get much grimmer. Slightly cryptic, but you get the idea. He’s also talked up a possible storyline where the character Bum-seok survives and could even ‘cross over to the North,’ so if you thought things were getting safer or more predictable, think again.
Cast and the Road Ahead
For the record, Hope pulled in an ensemble strong by any standard: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon, Zo In-sung, Michael Fassbender himself, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. If a trilogy is coming, they’d probably love a bit more box office muscle from audiences outside Korea—because those sequel ambitions aren’t cheap.
- Hope opened in the US on 9 September
- Third-highest gross for a Korean film in US history
- $7 million US box office, $44 million worldwide
- Budget sits at $46 million
- Cast includes: Hwang Jung-min, Jung Ho-yeon, Zo In-sung, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton
- Director Na Hong-jin is making sequel plans and hints it could even be a trilogy
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