NEON is giving Na Hong-jin’s “Hope” a one-night early-access event across 175 premium-format locations, another example of distributors using PLF as a marketing tool rather than simply an upgraded ticket option.

On September 7, two days before the film’s nationwide theatrical release, “Hope” will screen at 175 premium-format locations across the United States. The event spans six formats and technologies, including Dolby Cinema, 4DX, ScreenX, Barco HDR, D-BOX and Dolby Atmos, with participating cinemas in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and other markets.

The strategy is not entirely new for NEON. The distributor used advance premium-format screenings to generate word of mouth for Osgood Perkins’ “The Monkey,” which ultimately earned $40 million theatrically. With “Hope,” however, NEON is substantially widening the approach across multiple PLF brands and 175 locations.

That makes the rollout interesting beyond the film itself. Premium formats have traditionally been viewed primarily as a way to increase average ticket prices once a movie is already in theaters. Increasingly, distributors are treating them as part of the launch campaign—giving fans early access, creating scarcity and turning the theatrical experience itself into something worth marketing.