Na Hong-jin’s third full-length film “The Wailing” will be released on May 11, a day ahead of its original scheduled date, the production company 20th Century Fox announced Wednesday.

Film critics and local media have heaped lavish praise on the film for its solid and intriguing plot following Tuesday’s press screening, heightening moviegoer’s expectations. The main cast -- Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee, and Hwang Jung-min -- have also been lauded for their outstanding performances that make the film even more absorbing.

The three preview screenings for the general public, scheduled at three Megabox theaters -- Daegu on May 7; Yeongtong in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on May 8; and Dongdaemun, Seoul, on May 10 -- have sold out.

“The Wailing” is a thriller about a series of mysterious deaths in a rural village after the arrival of a stranger.

The film will be screened in the Out of Competition section at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on May 11-22. Na has achieved the feat of having all his full-length films screened at the prestigious festival. His debut film “The Chaser” premiered at the Midnight Screening section in 2008, and “The Yellow Sea” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in 2011.

Cannes Film Festival screening schedule will soon be available on its official website www.festival-cannes.com.

By Jung Eun-jin (jej2403@heraldcorp.com)