Mubi Acquires Na Hong-Jin’s Korean Thriller ‘Hope,’ Starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Hoyeon, For Multiple Territories Ahead of Cannes Premiere

Mubi is once again flexing it financial muscle ahead of Cannes, picking up one of the buzziest films heading to this year’s festival.

The arthouse distributor and production company has acquired Na Hong-Jin’s (“The Wailing,” “The Yellow Sea”) sci-fi action thriller “Hope” for multiple territories, including Latin America, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Turkey. Neon has already bought the film for the U.S.

Set to premiere in Competition in Cannes and written and directed by Hong-Jin, “Hope” stars Hwang Jung-min (“Narcos Saints,” “The Wailing”), Zo In-sung (“Moving”) and Hoyeon (“Disclaimer,” “Squid Game”), as well as Michael Fassbender (“The Killer,” “12 Years a Slave”), Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl,” “Ex Machina”), Taylor Russell (“Bones and All, Waves”) and Cameron Britton (“The Umbrella Academy,” “Mindhunter”).

According to the synopsis, “Hope” follows a police officer who is alerted to the news that a tiger has appeared in the hills, sending the town 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.

The film was produced by Na’s production banner Forged Films and Plus M Entertainment. Plus M Entertainment is handling international sales. Mubi will announce theatrical release plans in the coming months.

Na is represented by UTA, M3 Global Strategy, Ziffren Brittenham, and Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis. Vikander is represented by UTA, Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, Tapestry. Russell is represented by UTA and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Rogal, Shikora & Clark. Fassbender is represented by Conor McCaughan, Range Media Partners, Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, Tapestry. Hoyeon is represented by CAA, BH Entertainment, Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern (SOWDLLP), and Apex PR. Britton is represented by UTA, Venture Entertainment Partners, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.

Mubi, which earlier this month struck a multi-year co-financing pact with investment fund manager IPR.VC to bankroll a slate of prestige European films, already has another film in Cannes’ competition in Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” while it’s opening the Un Certain Regard sidebar with “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.”