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Heat vision
The Korean action maestro’s first film in nearly a decade arrives in US theaters September 9 via NEON after a buzzy world premiere in France.
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Na Hong Jin He hopes Now he has a history. The South Korean director’s sci-fi thriller Neon — one of the hottest titles in contention at this year’s Cannes Film Festival — will open exclusively in U.S. theaters on September 9.
He hopes It premiered at Cannes in May to a six-minute standing ovation and a wave of sharply divided critical response, ranging from euphoria to notes of bewilderment.
Hollywood ReporterDavid Rooney, chief film critic, commented strongly on the positive side, calling the film a “buzzing sci-fi thriller” that “has an instant cult classic written all over it.”
“It’s a great feeling to know from the first frames of a film that you’re in the hands of an assured genre auteur,” Rooney wrote in his review from the festival. “The rare thriller that takes place almost entirely in broad daylight. He hopes It instantly draws you in with its talented photography, pulse-pounding score, adrenaline-packed pace, and sharply drawn characters.
“He hopesHe added: “It is a title whose meaning only becomes clear in the final scenes, and it is a wonderfully sustained experience that is almost astonishing in its courage.”
Set in the fictional border town of Hope Harbor near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the film follows Police Chief Beom-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and Officer Song-ae (Hoyeon) as they hunt a mysterious creature that is destroying the village, while a group of hunters led by Song-ki (Zoo In-sung) track the monster through the surrounding forest, becoming its prey. What begins as a miscalculation, the synopsis teases, escalates through human conflict into a tragedy on a cosmic scale.
Korean band – Hwang, reunites with Na next Wailing; zo; and Squid game Breakthrough – Hoyeon – in her first feature role – is rounded out by a host of notable names in Hollywood. Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton appear in minor but surprising roles.
He hopes It is Na’s first film in nearly a decade. The writer-director made his name with three stunning genre films – crime thrillers pursuer and Yellow sea And the horror strike of 2016 Wailing – And meet here with him wailing Cinematographer, Hong Kyung-pyo, is a respected figure in the Korean industry whose other credits include Bong Joon-ho’s filmography. parasite And Lee Chang Dong burn. The score is by Michael Ables, the composer behind Jordan Peele Get out and no.
I got pregnant He hopes As the first chapter of a potential franchise. It’s two hours and 40 minutes long, which is certainly a long time for a commercial action film – but Korean producer Plus M Entertainment’s record pre-sales at Cannes suggest that distributors expect the spectacle to translate strongly beyond the festival circuit.
In addition to the previously sold M He hopes To nearly 200 territories, a record for a Korean title. Plus M said the deals allowed He hopes to recoup approximately half of its net production budget prior to release. Neon, which hit North America, the UK and Australia ahead of Cannes, is joined by Mubi (Germany, Spain, Italy and Latin America), Focus Features (France, with UPI France, plus Benelux and South Africa) and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (Portugal, Scandinavia and the Middle East, among others), with Japan’s Gaga and India’s Star Ent. Also on board. For many buyers, this represents their first-ever Korean acquisition.
Korean version of He hopes It is scheduled to take place this summer, before the American bow on September 9.
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