Hope 2026 International Trailer Gives First Extended Look at the Terrifying Creatures

Hope (2026) is Neon’s fifth film that it nabbed at the Cannes Film Festival this year, which proudly comes from the director of The Wailing (2016), Na Hong-jin. The teaser induced much-needed anticipation for the action-filled movie, which is backed by glimpses of the creepy creatures, already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated sci-fi horror releases of 2026.  

Hope 2026 international trailer has arrived and gives us a closer look at the creatures that have intimidated the remote harbor town. There is another intriguing detail about the film. Read on to find out what it is. 

Plot details of Hope (2026)

Hope is a mega, non-stop action alien sci-fi thriller focusing on a local police chief, his deputy, and a local hunter in the isolated coastal town of Hope Harbor. They go on a hunt for the mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the town and the lives of its people. 

However, they unfold a raging battle between the townspeople and alienly creatures who have invaded the place and are not ready to leave. 

Watch the trailer and decide for yourself what the creature really is. 

Director’s vision for the film

According to Deadline, Hong-jin took inspiration from several 1950s, 60s, and 70s movies, which included Steven Spielberg’s Duel (1971) and Jaws (1975), Die Hard (1988), Die Harder (1990), The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), and Fantastic Voyage (1966). 

He was fascinated by the idea of how the heroes in these movies never died and were brave enough to fight those colossal monsters that had a “human-being touch.” He went on to explain, 

“There are things that I wanted to do with this film where, although we now live in an era where it’s possible to render these creatures 100 percent with CGI, I wanted to go back to the way they used to make things when this technology wasn’t available.” [Source]

He aimed at reducing violence for broader impact, emphasizing narrative weight and intense pacing rather than bloodshed and heavy carnage. The retro-inspired creatures would capture the essence of the older genre films since the goal was never to make these creatures technologically perfect creations. 

Hong-jin presents monsters not just as external threats but as a means of exploring human fear, misunderstanding, prejudice, and the inability to comprehend the unfamiliar. Possibly, this could be a challenge for the audience to look beyond the surface appearance and understand deeper emotions and ideas. 

How much of the monster does the Hope 2026 international trailer show? 

The initial reviews coming out of Cannes film viewers were divided since many people criticized its underwhelming CGI and mediocre second half. But having known the director’s vision for making the creatures as close to those from old movies and not relying heavily on CGI, we could interpret that he aimed at evoking a tangible, old-school sense of horror where atmosphere and practical creature design took precedence over photorealistic visual effects.

For this, the director made an interesting move, which was teased in the beginning here. The real-life couple Michael Fassbender (Black Bag) and Alicia Vikander (The Assessment) stepped forward to play the alien creatures. The physical intensity and heavily localized vocal performances helped the director bring more realness to the creatures and kept them as close to those in old Hollywood movies. 

Despite the early viewers’ criticism of the subpar CGI, the film still creates chaos that we are ready to experience on the big screen. This restrained approach keeps the audience guessing about the creature’s full appearance and abilities, while the trailer already has a strong grip on us with its survival-horror tension.   

Though the trailer clearly shows that the action is fast-paced, it carefully avoids revealing too much about the monsters themselves. Hong-jin might want to bring the same feel of the creatures as we had seen in The Wailing, relying more on their presence rather than their appearance.

The director has already mentioned the possibility of making a sequel if given a shot. He confirmed that the sequel’s script is already in development and expressed his desire to begin filmmaking wherever the opportunity arises.   

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When is Hope (2026) releasing?

Though the film will open in South Korea on July 15, 2026, Neon will distribute Hope (2026) in the US on September 9, 2026. 

Genre: Period drama, suspense, mystery, horror, action, sci-fi thriller 

Cast: Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Hoyeon, Jung Ho-Yeon, Taylor Russell, Camerton Britton, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander

Director: Na Hong-jin

Writer: Na Hong-jin

Producers: Na Hong-jin, Saemi Kim, Searon Kim

Release date: September 9, 2026 (US)

Movie runtime: 2 hours 40 minutes