Forget Alien, Michael Fassbender’s New Sci-Fi Movie Finally Sets U.S. Release Date

Michael Fassbender is taking a brief break from the world of espionage and returning to another familiar territory. Last year, the German-Irish actor’s only feature release was Steven Soderbergh‘s Black Bag, the acclaimed star-studded spy thriller that paired him with Cate Blanchett and Pierce Brosnan, but somehow struggled to perform at the box office. He is set to reprise his role in Season 2 of Paramount+’s breakout thriller series The Agency, which premieres later this summer. After that, the actor will return to a genre he has stayed away from in recent years. The project has quietly generated buzz of its own and even broken records along the way. Now, it has officially secured a theatrical release date in the United States.

Fassbender will next star in Hope, a South Korean sci-fi thriller described as an alien monster mash-up. The film premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it earned strong reviews and a seven-minute standing ovation following its screening. Hope also marks Fassbender’s return to the alien sci-fi genre for the first time since Ridley Scott‘s Alien: Covenant in 2017. This time, however, the actor trades heroics for villainy, starring as the film’s primary antagonist alongside his wife, Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina). The project marks the couple’s first on-screen reunion since 2016’s The Light Between Oceans.

Set in the remote village of Hope Harbour near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Hope follows a community terrorized by a mysterious creature initially believed to be a tiger. As the local authorities investigate, they uncover a far more terrifying truth: the village is under attack by alien predators, portrayed by Fassbender and Vikander. The film has already made history, becoming the highest-grossing overseas pre-sales title ever for a Korean film. After securing sales in more than 200 territories, Hope was acquired by NEON for U.S. distribution, per Deadline, and is now set to arrive in theaters this fall on September 9.

Who Is Behind ‘Hope’?

Hope was written and directed by Na Hong-jin, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the cult horror hit, The Wailing. The film appears well-positioned for commercial success, with international sales already recouping roughly half of its production budget. Hong-jin has also revealed that he has a sequel concept ready should the opportunity arise. The film currently holds an 82% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, Collider’s Theresa Lacson praised Hope as one of the most exciting films to emerge from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

In addition to Fassbender and Vikander, Hope boasts a star-studded cast that includes Hwang Jung-min (Deliver Us from Evil), Zo In-sung (Moving), Hoyeon (Squid Game), Taylor Russell (Bones and All), and Cameron Britton (The Umbrella Academy).

Hope arrives in theaters on September 9.