My hood release broke last year, and in my case it was the cable which broke right at the release lever end in the driver foot well. If this is the same with yours then you can try dismantle the fittings around the lever, and then, with a bit of luck you can see and still grab the broken end of the cable in some vice grips, and then just pull it to release the hood. Once the hood is open you can buy and refit a new cable.

The cable ends in a lead bead which is used as the anchor within a recess slot in the lever (like an old fashion bicycle brake cable) and the most common point of failure is right at the bead.