NEON is no longer merely acquiring films for UK and Irish audiences. It is going to start putting them into cinemas itself.

The U.S. independent distributor will directly release Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi thriller “Hope” in UK and Irish theaters on September 25, marking the company’s first direct theatrical release in the territory. The move follows reports in July that NEON was preparing to establish its own UK distribution operation.

“Hope” is a suitably ambitious film with which to make the leap. The Korean production premiered in competition at Cannes and stars Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung and HoYeon alongside Taylor Russell, Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender. It has already topped the box office in South Korea and will receive its UK premiere in IMAX at the Edinburgh International Film Festival before opening commercially.

NEON has acquired UK and Irish rights to films before, but direct distribution represents a different level of commitment. Rather than licensing titles to established local distributors, the company can control theatrical strategy, marketing and release execution itself while retaining more of the upside when a film connects.

That model has served NEON rather well in North America, where its increasingly distinctive slate has made it one of the most influential independent distributors in the market. Extending that operation into the UK and Ireland gives the company another major English-language territory in which to apply the same playbook.

Whether “Hope” is the beginning of a steady pipeline or simply the first step in a more selective strategy remains to be seen. Either way, a month after NEON was reportedly considering a UK distribution launch, it appears the consideration phase is over.