Na Hong-jin's 'Hope' tops 2 million admissions in 5 days, fastest box office record this year

Na Hong-jin's new film "Hope" surpassed 2 million cumulative admissions just five days after its opening, setting the fastest box office milestone of the year.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated ticketing network, "Hope," which opened Wednesday, crossed the 2 million admissions mark as of 1 p.m. Sunday.

That pace outstrips director Yeon Sang-ho's "Gunchebo," which reached 2 million on its fifth evening in theaters. "Hope" had already hit 1 million admissions within three days of opening and continued its strong run through the weekend.

"Hope" is a science fiction action thriller about an unknown entity that appears at Hopo, a port in the demilitarized zone. The film stars Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung and Jung Ho-yeon, with Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Taylor Russell portraying the alien characters. It has drawn widespread praise from critics and audiences alike for the VFX work depicting creatures in broad daylight and the mise-en-scène crafted by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo.