Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender just traded Oscar prestige for extraterrestrial prosthetics. The real-life couple plays aliens in Na Hong-jin’s upcoming sci-fi movie, which just earned a six-minute standing ovation at Cannes.
Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender on playing aliens in Hope
Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender recently discussed their roles as aliens in Hope, as reported by Variety. Director Na Hong-jin’s big-budget sci-fi epic premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night. The film earned a six-minute standing ovation at the Grand Palais.
Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender explain how they ended up playing aliens in “Hope,” the craziest movie at #Cannes so far:
“The dream is to be able to work with an auteur. And director Na is an auteur who makes incredible cinema,” Vikander says.
“Alicia told me to do… pic.twitter.com/recX3J1Yq5
— Variety (@Variety) May 18, 2026
Vikander revealed her long admiration for Na’s work drew her to the project. She recalled falling in love with Asian cinema after attending the Busan Film Festival at age 21. She later discovered Na’s films The Chaser, The Yellow Sea, and The Wailing. “I was utterly blown away,” Vikander said about watching The Wailing. She and another actor even approached Na about a separate script they had been developing together.
Na eventually stepped away from that project to pursue Hope, his ambitious sci-fi vision. However, he returned a couple of years later with an unexpected offer. “He reached out two, three years later and said, I have some aliens,” Vikander explained. She accepted without hesitation. “I didn’t think. I said yes,” she added.
Fassbender joked that his wife convinced him to join the film. “Alicia told me to do it,” he quipped during the interview. He then offered a more thoughtful perspective on Na’s filmmaking style. “He’s mixing genres… That feeling of the unexpected can be very rare in cinema,” Fassbender noted. He called the director “a master at that.” Vikander echoed that sentiment and praised Na as a visionary filmmaker.
Hope marks Na’s fourth Cannes appearance but his first entry in the main competition. The film also stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon Jung, Taylor Russell, and Cameron Britton. Neon acquired North American, U.K., and Australian distribution rights before the festival began.
