Na Hong-jin returns to directing after a decade with “Hope,” a sci-fi thriller that premieres at Cannes in May and is now preparing for release in South Korea. Multiple reports say the film undergoes post-Cannes adjustments, including deletions and additions of footage, resulting in a different theatrical runtime. One source says about five minutes of footage are removed and roughly three to four minutes of new scenes are added, while another describes the final theatrical cut as 156 minutes after trimming about four minutes. “Hope” is set in the 1980s in Hopo Port, a fictional coastal town near the Demilitarized Zone. The story begins with a local outpost chief, Beom-seok/Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min), responding to reports of a mutilated cow found on a rural road. Believing a tiger is nearby, villagers arm themselves and search for the threat, as a group of younger men and the outpost chief encounter increasing danger. The plot also follows communications with a local police officer, Seong-ae/Seong-ae (Jung Ho-yeon). The film features an international cast, including Zo In-sung and Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Taylor Russell and Cameron Britton.