Director Na Hong-jin's new film, "Hope," will compete for the top honor at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
The sci-fi film was named one of the 21 titles invited to the competition section of the 79th edition of the festival, organizers said Thursday, marking the first Korean film in four years to vie for the Palme d'Or.
The last Korean entry in the same category was Park Chan-wook's "Decision to Leave" in 2022.
The selection means every feature work by the Na has now been invited to Cannes, starting with his debut, "The Chaser," which was screened in the Midnight Screenings section in 2008, followed by "The Yellow Sea" in Un Certain Regard in 2011. "The Wailing" was also invited to the festival's noncompetition section in 2016.
Set in a small seaside village, "Hope" reunites Na with "The Wailing" star Hwang Jung-min, who plays a police officer investigating the sudden appearance of mysterious entities in the area.
The star-studded Korean cast also includes Zo In-sung and "Squid Game" star Jung Ho-yeon. Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender of "Shame" (2011) and "Steve Jobs" (2015), and Alicia Vikander, who starred in "The Danish Girl" (2015) and "Tomb Raider" (2018), are set to portray the mysterious beings at the center of the sci-fi thriller.
The film festival is set to run from May 12 to 23 in the French resort city. At this year's edition, Korean auteur Park Chan-wook will preside over the competition jury. (Yonhap)
