The A-list cast of “Hope,” the hotly-anticipated follow-up from acclaimed South Korean director Na Hong-Jin after his 2016 box office smash hit “The Wailing,” have come together for a stylish studio shoot and unveiled release plans for the feature, which is now in post production.

The cast photo features South Korean stars Hwang Jung-min (“Narcos Saints,” “The Wailing”), Zo In-sung (“Moving”) and Hoyeon (“Disclaimer,” “Squid Game”), plus international faces in Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender (“The Killer,” “12 Years a Slave”), Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl,” “Ex Machina”), Taylor Russell (“Bones and All,” “Waves”) and Cameron Britton (“The Umbrella Academy,” “Mindhunter”).

Billed as Na’s most ambitious project to date, “Hope” is a sci-fi action thriller set in the remote village of Hope Harbor, near the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). When a tiger is suspected to have appeared and local police chief Bum-seok is alerted, it throws the community into chaos. But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.

Hwang reunites with Na to play Bum-seok, while Zo co-stars as Sung-ki, a headstrong local who tracks a dangerous creature into the forest. Making her feature film debut, Hoyeon plays Sung-ae, a principled rookie officer navigating a crisis beyond her training. Meanwhile, Fassbender, Vikander, Russell and Britton appear as extraterrestrials whose arrival in Hope Harbor accelerates the town’s unraveling and deepens the mystery.

The film is now slated for a summer 2026 release, with international sales handled by Plus M Entertainment and UTA Independent Film Group representing North America.

“I’m deeply grateful to the actors for taking on these roles and delivering such dedicated performances,” said Na, who is credited with helping redefine Korean genre cinema thanks to “The Wailing,” “The Yellow Sea” and “The Chaser.” “They conveyed everything this film set out to capture with remarkable talent and focus. I have felt this every time, but their collective presence is truly extraordinary.”

“Hope” has been produced under Na’s production banner Forged Films and Plus M Entertainment.