Acclaimed horror mangaka Junji Ito’s Bloodsucking Darkness will receive a live-action adaptation.
As reported by Variety, Junji Ito will see another one of his works hit the big screen as a dramatized adaptation. Produced by Fangoria Studios, Bloodsucking Darkness will be the first of three adaptations the studio will make from Ito’s vampire series Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection. Jeff Howard, known for his work on Oculus, The Haunting of Hill House and Resident Evil, will develop the adaptation as the executive producer and screenwriter.
Ito, who will be one of the producers of Bloodsucking Darkness, expressed excitement for the adaptation and jokingly said, “I hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight.” As soon as the announcement for the live-action adaptation dropped, Howard revealed he immediately jumped on the opportunity. “I chased after it with everything I had, because I just couldn’t live with anyone else getting there before me,” he said. “The combination of fear and feelings is where I always want to be.”
Alongside Ito, Tara Ansley, Armen Aghaeian and Abhi Goel will adapt with Amuse Group USA’s Yasu Kutami and Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Aghaeian, also the senior vice-president of Fangoria Studios, expressed how “honored” he and the rest of the team at Fangoria were to work with Ito. “Ito’s stories and visuals are pure nightmare fuel […] We are excited to bring the horror found in the pages of his work to life onto the biggest screens possible.”
Other Junji Ito Film and Anime Adaptations
Numerous Ito works have seen adaptations over recent years. Tomie received a film series that ran from 1998 to 2011. Uzumaki also received numerous adaptations, with its first in 2000. Its most recent adaptation, an animated series produced by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, experienced a delay due to the animators’ desire not to “compromise its quality by delivering a mediocre final product.” There is no announced release date for the anime. Studio Deen produced the anime Junji Ito Collection, adapting several of Ito’s stories, in 2018. In 2023, Netflix produced Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, which received mixed reviews for failing to capture the mangaka’s artistry.
Bloodsucking Darkness, one of 13 one-shots in Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, follows a woman obsessed with losing weight and haunted by nightmares. When she wakes up, she finds her face and bed covered with blood. One day, she meets a strange young man obsessed with bats and soon realizes something more creepy is happening.
There is currently no premiere window, nor director announced for Bloodsucking Darkness.
Source: Variety
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