After a decade-long silence that left cinema enthusiasts worldwide yearning for his return, acclaimed director Na Hong-jin is finally breaking his creative hiatus with HOPE, a mysterious thriller set to captivate audiences next summer. The announcement from distributor Plus M Entertainment marks the end of an agonizing wait that began after his 2016 masterpiece THE WAILING left viewers haunted and critics in unanimous praise.
Set against the eerie backdrop of a port village nestled within the demilitarized zone, HOPE promises to deliver the psychological complexity and atmospheric dread that have become Na Hong-jin’s signature. The story unfolds when an unknown entity materializes in this isolated community, transforming the quiet coastal settlement into a stage for supernatural terror. This premise alone suggests a return to the director’s expertise in blending visceral horror with profound existential questions that made THE CHASER, THE YELLOW SEA, and THE WAILING essential viewing for serious film lovers.
The casting choices reveal Na Hong-jin’s commitment to assembling a truly international ensemble that reflects the film’s ambitious scope. Hwang Jung-min returns to collaborate with the director once again, taking on the role of Beom-seok, the village’s branch office chief. Their previous partnership in THE WAILING demonstrated an almost telepathic understanding between actor and director, making this reunion one of the most anticipated aspects of the project. Jo In-sung brings his considerable screen presence to the role of Sung-ki, a young hunter who ventures into treacherous mountain terrain to track down the creature terrorizing the village, while Jung Ho-yeon, riding high on her global breakthrough, portrays Sung-ae, a principled police officer whose unwavering moral compass will likely be tested by the unfolding chaos.
The international dimension of HOPE becomes even more intriguing with the inclusion of Hollywood powerhouses Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, both taking on the enigmatic challenge of portraying an unknown life form. Fassbender, whose intense performances in the X-MEN series, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, and ALIEN: COVENANT have established him as one of cinema’s most compelling actors, joins forces with Vikander, whose versatility spans from her Oscar-winning turn in THE DANISH GIRL to action-packed roles in JASON BOURNE and TOMB RAIDER. Their casting as otherworldly entities suggests a film that will push the boundaries of conventional narrative structure and challenge audiences’ preconceptions about identity and humanity.
The ensemble grows even more impressive with the addition of Taylor Russell, whose Venice International Film Festival recognition for BONES AND ALL demonstrates her ability to handle complex, emotionally demanding material, and Cameron Britton, whose chilling portrayal of a serial killer in Netflix’s MINDHUNTER proved his capacity for inhabiting deeply unsettling characters. This carefully curated cast represents not just star power but a collection of performers known for their fearless approach to challenging material.
Na Hong-jin’s enthusiasm for his assembled cast is palpable in his statement that they have “expressed all the elements that the work aims to convey with the best talent and focus,” describing their combination as “tremendous.” This confidence from a director known for his meticulous attention to detail and uncompromising artistic vision suggests that HOPE will be worth every moment of the decade-long wait. The film promises to blend the director’s mastery of psychological horror with contemporary global tensions, creating a cinematic experience that could redefine the thriller genre for a new generation of viewers.
Caitriona Balfe has just landed her next major role in THE HOUSEKEEPER.
Set in a grand historic manor against Cornwall`s dramatic landscape, Balfe plays Danni, a housekeeper who falls into a forbidden affair with none other than writer Daphne du Maurier (played by Mackenzi Laird).
While we`re counting down to OUTLANDER`s final season premiere on Mar 6th, Balfe is already proving she`s so much more than Claire Fraser. 🔥
More Caitriona at irishfilmtv.com.
After over 20 years of mesmerizing us on screen, Saoirse Ronan is ready to call the shots—literally.
The four-time Oscar nominee is making her directorial debut with PAPER PLANE, an Irish short film she`s also writing, and honestly, this feels like the natural next chapter for someone who`s been acting since she was nine years old.
Details about PAPER PLANE are still under wraps, but with Ronan`s track record, expectations are sky-high. What are you most excited to see from her behind the camera? 🎬
More Saoirse at irishfilmtv.com.
Louis Paxton`s Sundance 2026 debut THE INCOMER stars Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, and Grant O`Rourke in a trio that`s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking.
Think fish-out-of-water meets generational grief, wrapped in the warmth of fireside hot chocolate. Sometimes the scariest thing isn`t a legendary Fin Man—it`s letting go of the past.
Have you ever held onto something because changing felt like betrayal?
More Domhnall at irishfilmtv.com.
🎸 THE BEATLES ARE COMING BACK TO CINEMAS.
Four films. Four perspectives. One legendary band.
Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney. Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
The first look just dropped via postcards hidden around Liverpool`s performing arts campus and honestly?
The hype is REAL. 🔥
Sam Mendes is directing all four films, each told from a different Beatle`s POV, and they`re ALL releasing on the same day—April 7, 2028.
Which Beatle`s story are you most excited to see? 👇
Irish talent is absolutely dominating the 2026 BAFTA nominations! 🇮🇪✨
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal both scored major noms for HAMNET, with Buckley up for Leading Actress as Agnes and Mescal recognized for Supporting Actor as William Shakespeare. The film has basically swept the nominations, breaking records left and right.
But that`s just the beginning. Andrew Scott landed on the longlist for BLUE MOON, Robbie Ryan got recognized for his stunning cinematography on BUGONIA, and even Cillian Murphy appears as a producer on the STEVE longlist.
From performers to cinematographers to production companies like Element Pictures and Wild Atlantic Pictures, Irish voices are everywhere in this year`s race.
The ceremony hits London on February 22nd. The world is watching Irish cinema right now, and what a moment to witness. 🎬🔥
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #BAFTA #BAFTAs #BAFTA2026 #JessieBuckley #PaulMescal #AndrewScott #CillianMurphy #RobbieRyan #Hamnet #AwardsSeason #IrishTalent #FilmTwitter #Filmmaking #IrishProud
Aidan Turner is about to prove the pen is mightier than the sword 🗡️
Fresh from his scene-stealing turn as Declan O`Hara in RIVALS, Turner takes on one of literature`s most dangerously charismatic figures: the Vicomte de Valmont in DANGEROUS LIAISONS.
Mar 21 to Jun 6 at @nationaltheatre - more at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott delivers a coolly contained Richard Rodgers in BLUE MOON, now streaming.
Set over one night inside Sardi`s restaurant during the 1943 opening of OKLAHOMA!, it unfolds as a rueful, jazz-inflected chamber piece—talky, intimate, devastating.
More BLUE MOON at irishfilmtv.com.
🎬 Aidan Gillen is heading back to the dark side of London for DRIVER, a gritty British crime romance that pairs him with the phenomenal @dafnekeen!
Gillen plays Trey, a reclusive ex-con turned night driver navigating London`s after-hours underworld, while Keen takes on Camden, a sharp and restless young woman working as a call girl. What begins as chance encounters evolves into something fragile, intimate, and charged with tension.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Paul Mescal and Josh O`Connor are bringing something truly special to THE HISTORY OF SOUND 🎵✨
The two actors sang, reminisced, and opened up about this intimate musical journey. Recording onto actual wax cylinders gave them a tangible connection to their characters` world—the fragility of the medium mirrors the fragility of memory itself.
They revealed which Beatles song their characters would love and discussed the upcoming Beatles biopics. What emerges most powerfully is the chemistry between them—THE HISTORY OF SOUND is ultimately about how music becomes the language through which we express what words cannot capture 🎬🎶
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #PaulMescal #JoshOConnor #TheHistoryOfSound #IndieFilm #MovieNews #FilmLovers #CinemaLovers #MusicInFilm #PeriodDrama #BritishCinema #Acting #Cinephile #NewRelease #thebeatles
🎬✨ The nominations are IN!
The 2026 @iftaacademy Awards are celebrating another extraordinary year of Irish storytelling that`s captured hearts around the world.
The future of Irish film and drama has never looked brighter. 🇮🇪🎭
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #IFTA #IFTAAwards #IFTAAwards2026 #FilmAwards #CiarànHinds #KevinMcGahern #DublinEvents #IrishTalent #Filmmaking #Awards #AwardSeason #IrishDrama #Storytelling #FilmIndustry #IrishCreatives
Westeros is trading dragonfire for something a bit more human!
Set nearly a century before GAME OF THRONES, HBO’s latest venture into the world of Ice and Fire, A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, is now on #HBO.
First look trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
** NEW TRAILER ALERT **
Fresh off her 2026 Golden Globe win for HAMNET, Ireland`s own Jessie Buckley delivers a career-defining performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal`s audacious reimagining of a classic monster tale.
Set in gritty 1930s Chicago, THE BRIDE! transforms Frankenstein`s silent companion into a revolutionary force of nature—murdered, resurrected, and absolutely refusing to play by anyone`s rules.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Lisa McGee (yes, the genius behind DERRY GIRLS) is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST and it sounds absolutely unhinged in the best way possible.
Three childhood friends—chaotic TV writer Saoirse, stressed mum-of-three Robyn, and dependable Dara—reunite for the wake of their estranged fourth friend. What starts as a simple journey across Ireland quickly spirals into something darker when eerie events unfold and a buried childhood secret threatens to surface.
Mark your calendars for February 2026 because this Irish odyssey is going to be unmissable!
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #Netflix #NetflixSeries #LisaMcGee #DerryGirls #Belfast #ComediThriller #IrishDrama #IrishStories #MustWatch #ComingSoon #NewSeries #IrishWriters #IrishEntertainment #TVDrama #NetflixOriginal #BingeWorthy #IrishWomen
Fresh from wrapping THE IMMORTAL MAN, Cillian Murphy is teaming up with Daniel Craig and Michelle Williams for Damien Chazelle`s mysterious new prison drama—and the buzz is already deafening.
Production starts later this year through Chazelle`s Wild Chickens Productions, with Paramount distributing, but details remain sparse beyond the prison setting.
For Murphy, it`s another chance to do what he does best: portray men under impossible pressure with that signature intensity and precision. A contained prison environment with Craig and Williams?
That`s not just a movie—that`s a masterclass waiting to happen.
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #CillianMurphy #DamienChazelle #DanielCraig #MichelleWilliams #Hollywood #MovieNews #ComingSoon #Paramount #Oppenheimer #OscarWinner #PrisonDrama #NewMovie #FilmProduction #ActorLife
🎬 LEGENDARY BELFAST ACTOR CIARÁN HINDS TO RECEIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 🏆
From Belfast streets to Hollywood`s biggest stages, Ciarán Hinds has given us five decades of unforgettable performances.
The Irish Film & Television Academy is honoring this Oscar-nominated powerhouse with the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement at this year`s IFTA ceremony on February 20th.
Hinds has worked with everyone from Scorsese to Spielberg, shared the screen with icons like Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, and earned nominations from the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. Whether in BELFAST (which earned him that Oscar nod), EXCALIBUR, or countless other projects, he`s brought depth, dignity, and raw talent to every role.
With new projects like Netflix`s EAST OF EDEN on the horizon, this Belfast-born legend continues to prove why he`s one of Ireland`s greatest exports to cinema. A true master of the craft. 👏
Congratulations, Ciarán! ✨
#Ireland #Irish #Movies #Film #Television #TV #Cinema #Irishmovies #IrishFilm #IrishCinema #Actor #ActorsLife #IrishActor #IFTA #IFTAAwards #LifetimeAchievement #CiaránHinds #Belfast #Oscar #BelfastMovie #IrishTalent #FilmAwards #IrishPride #CelebratingExcellence #IrishArts #ScreenLegend #ActingLegend
