Song Joong-ki attends Cannes after pro bono performance in ‘Hopeless’

(From left) Actors Kim Hyeong-seo, Song Joong-ki and Hong Sa-bin pose for a photo during a red carpet event at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday. (Plus M Entertainment)

Actor Song Joong-ki attended the 76th Cannes Film Festival for the first time in his 15 year acting career with his action thriller flick “Hopeless.”

Invited as part of the Out of Competition category, the low-budget “Hopeless” is director Kim Chang-hoon's long feature debut film. Rookie actors Hong Sa-bin and Kim Hyeong-seo, also known as singer Bibi, were next to Song during the film's world premiere and the red carpet event prior to the screening on Wednesday.

Exuding charisma and charm in a black tuxedo, Song was expected to walk the red carpet with his wife, Katy Louise Saunders, who is expecting to deliver their baby next month. The couple tied the knot in January, and it was reported that Katy decided to skip the world premiere due to the violent nature of the film.

Soon after the screening, the actors and director Kim received a four-minute-long standing ovation.

Song told the audience that he is satisfied with his acting and he’s glad that he decided to shoot the film.

Prior to the “Hopeless” premiere, Song told reporters in Cannes that he decided to shoot the project without pay because he knew that this kind of film would find it hard to get funding and that his unpaid appearance would help the project out.

“I love challenging myself with uncertainty. This may sound a bit bold, but I’ve been successful so many times that I wanted to give myself time to do something fun,” he told reporters.

“Hopeless” revolves around the story of Yun-kyu (Hong), a man who wants to escape from his everyday struggles. One day, Yun-kyu meets a crime organization underboss, Chi-gun (Song), and becomes entangled in risky situations.

The film is expected to hit local theaters in the second half of this year.

By Kim Da-sol(ddd@heraldcorp.com)