Hoyeon Steps Into the Action Arena with Na Hong-jins Thriller HOPE Following Her Breakthrough in Squid Game

Model-turned-actress Hoyeon, who captured global acclaim following her breakout performance in Netflix’s record-breaking and award-winning dystopian survival series Squid Game, is expanding her cinematic footprint. She has officially made her major-screen feature film debut in acclaimed South Korean director Na Hong-jin’s ambitious new psychological thriller, HOPE. The film, which has drawn significant attention from international film festivals and cinephiles alike, represents a dramatic shift in tone and physical scale for the young actress, pushing her into the demanding realm of high-octane action and atmospheric suspense.

Set against the brooding, isolated backdrop of a remote harbor town in South Korea, HOPE chronicles the harrowing plight of local residents as they find themselves thrust into a desperate, high-stakes battle for survival against an enigmatic and dangerous threat. Within this tense narrative landscape, Hoyeon takes on the role of Sung-ae, a rookie police officer. Working alongside the town’s veteran police chief—portrayed by seasoned actor Hwang Jung-min—Sung-ae must navigate treacherous terrain and decipher escalating dangers before time runs out for the coastal community. The film also features prominent performances by Jo In-sung, cementing a stellar cast of South Korean cinematic heavyweights.

The Genesis of a Thriller: Background and Production Context

The path to HOPE began long before cameras rolled on the remote South Korean coastline. Director Na Hong-jin, widely celebrated in the international horror and thriller communities for his masterclass in tension, The Wailing (2016), as well as earlier gritty masterpieces like The Chaser (2008) and The Yellow Sea (2010), has cultivated a reputation for meticulous, psychologically draining narratives. His projects are rarely straightforward genre pieces; instead, they deeply interrogate human morality, systemic failures, and visceral terror.

When Na began assembling the cast and crew for HOPE, industry expectations immediately soared. The production brought together a powerhouse creative team, enlisting renowned cinematographer Alex Hong to capture the bleak, atmospheric landscapes of the harbor town. For Hoyeon, whose meteoric rise following Squid Game made her one of the most sought-after talents in the global entertainment industry, securing a role in a Na Hong-jin picture was both a validation of her burgeoning acting career and a formidable professional challenge.

Reflecting on her decision to join the project, Hoyeon noted that the caliber of the creative team made the choice effortless. "First of all, I have always been a huge fan of director Na Hong-jin and all of his work," she explained during an interview. "As for my co-stars, Hwang Jung-min and Jo In-sung, I have long admired them. They’re such incredible veteran masters of their crafts. I was also really excited to work with the cinematographer, Alex Hong. All of those things led me to this project."

Demystifying the Auteur: Working with Na Hong-jin

Directors known for crafting deeply unsettling cinematic experiences often carry reputations that precede them on set. Given the graphic violence, psychological torment, and relentless dread that permeate films like The Wailing, Hoyeon initially anticipated an intimidating atmosphere during production.

"Honestly, before our first meeting, I was thinking that he was going to be such a scary man," Hoyeon admitted. "When you look at his previous works, there’s a lot of gore and violence. I thought, if a man is capable of that kind of imagination, then how scary is he going to be in real life?"

However, working closely with the auteur quickly dismantled those preconceptions. Rather than a tyrannical presence, Hoyeon encountered a collaborative and unexpectedly lighthearted filmmaker. "When I actually met him, he was just such a pleasure to be with. He was really funny, which was a pleasant surprise. He turned out to be someone who is always very fun. He jokes around a lot."

This levity, however, did not detract from Na’s legendary precision. The director is famously uncompromising when it comes to visual continuity and technical execution—a trait that once drove him to painstakingly re-shoot sequences during The Wailing to ensure the atmospheric smog matched perfectly across cuts. Hoyeon quickly learned that this obsessive attention to detail stems not from a desire to terrorize his cast, but from a profound anxiety regarding safety and narrative integrity.

"What struck me was that I thought he would be someone who would never get scared," she said. "I had heard these tales within the Korean industry… But when I met him, I realized that it was because he is someone who gets scared easily as well. That’s why he is so meticulous in his preparation. He’s scared that somebody might get hurt, so he doesn’t want that to happen—especially with a film like HOPE, where there’s a lot of action."

This deep-seated caution translates into exhaustive pre-production. Hoyeon observed that Na pours immense effort and passion into the planning stages, driven by an underlying anxiety to protect his cast and crew while executing complex, high-risk sequences.

Physical Transformation and Action-Hero Readiness

For an actress whose previous defining role, Kang Sae-byeok in Squid Game, relied primarily on dramatic tension, emotional vulnerability, and survivalist stealth, HOPE required an entirely different anatomical and psychological calibration. As a rookie police officer thrust into dangerous physical confrontations, Hoyeon had to undergo a rigorous transformation.

"Because this was my first full-on, real action project, I had so much fun with it," Hoyeon shared. "The minute I found out that I was going to be in something so intense in terms of action, I went straight into hardcore personal and physical training."

The transition was far from seamless. Having spent years cultivating the slender, lightweight physique typical of high-fashion runway modeling, building functional muscle mass required a fundamental shift in lifestyle and self-perception.

"That process was challenging. I hadn’t lived in a very muscular body before because I was a model and I wasn’t really the muscular type," she explained. "But working on my physical training for HOPE, I got to meet a new body that was capable of meeting the demands of an action role, and that gave me great happiness."

This physical metamorphosis provided a psychological boost, instilling a newfound sense of capability. "I was so satisfied being able to live in this new physique of mine. I almost felt like I had powered up to a new body!"

On-Set Rigors: Navigating Terrain and Heavy Machinery

Translating physical training into practical cinematic execution presented its own set of trials. As a rookie officer operating in a chaotic coastal environment, Hoyeon’s character, Sung-ae, was rarely without heavy equipment.

Among the most grueling daily hurdles was the sheer physical weight of her character’s service weapon. "Having to hold the five-kilogram gun all the time," Hoyeon recalled when asked about her most challenging days on set. "The scene where you first meet my character, we shot that for the whole entire day. I had to have this huge, heavy gun in my hands the whole day."

Beyond the weapon handling, the environmental conditions added another layer of hazard. Shooting in rugged, untamed forests tested the endurance of both the actors and the technical crew. "Of course, the scenes in the forest were very challenging, too—not just for me or the actors, but for the crew as well, because there were so many physical risks there. Having to run on unpolished and uneven ground with that five-kilogram gun in my hands was definitely physically challenging."

Despite the physical toll, the experience ignited a passion for action cinema that Hoyeon intends to pursue further. "I have to say, I almost feel like I was born for action. I love having this muscular body. It makes me so happy to have that," she enthused. However, the transient nature of an actor’s physique meant she had to bid temporary farewell to her hard-earned muscle for subsequent acting engagements. "Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to a lot of my muscles because of my next project, so I’m trying to shed some weight. But once I’m done with that—I almost feel like I’m addicted to physical training now—I’m going to get my muscular body back right away."

Cinematic Inspirations and Reference Points

To help ground her performance as Sung-ae, director Na Hong-jin provided distinct, unconventional reference materials during pre-production. Rather than drawing strictly from contemporary survival horror tropes, Na directed Hoyeon toward classic cinema to shape her character’s behavioral cadence and the film’s overall pacing.

One primary touchstone was the 1998 Japanese drama Dr. Akagi, directed by legendary auteur Shōhei Imamura. Hoyeon studied the character of Sonoko, an unpretentious assistant who aids the titular physician without background exposition or melodramatic backstory. "The movie didn’t reveal anything about her background or her story; she just showed up and did her job with her whole heart. It was fascinating watching her do that, and my character was inspired by Sonoko a lot," Hoyeon noted.

For sequences requiring high-speed tension and vehicular pursuit, Na turned to Hollywood motoring history, recommending Peter Yates’s iconic 1968 action thriller Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. These eclectic cinematic references helped bridge the gap between character-driven procedural realism and explosive thriller mechanics.

Industry Implications and Theatrical Release

The release of HOPE marks a critical milestone in Hoyeon’s post-Squid Game trajectory. While many breakout stars from streaming phenomena struggle to transition into feature films—let alone complex, physical genre pieces—Hoyeon’s deliberate choice to collaborate with an auteur of Na Hong-jin’s caliber signals long-term artistic ambition. By embedding herself within an ensemble cast featuring veterans like Hwang Jung-min and Jo In-sung, she continues to solidify her standing in the global film community as a versatile actress capable of carrying high-stakes dramatic and physical narratives.

As HOPE rolls out in theaters worldwide, industry analysts are closely watching how international audiences respond to Na Hong-jin’s latest atmospheric puzzle. With its blend of localized paranoia, high-risk stunt work, and breakout performances, the film is positioned as a significant contribution to contemporary South Korean cinema, further cementing the nation’s reputation as a powerhouse for innovative, boundary-pushing thriller storytelling.