Bloodsucking Darkness by popular horror mangaka Junji Ito will get a live-action adaptation.
As reported by Variety, Junji Ito will see another of his works adapted into a play on the big screen. Produced by Fangoria Studios, Bloodsucking Darkness will be the first of three film 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 executive producer and writer.
Ito, who will be one of the producers of Bloodsucking Darkness, expressed excitement for the adaptation and joked, “I hope I can see the trailer of my dreams tonight. ” As soon as the announcement of the live-action adaptation was cancelled, Howard revealed that he immediately jumped at the opportunity. “I went after it with all I had, because I couldn’t live with anyone else who got there before me,” he said. “The combination of fear and emotion is where I’ve always wanted to be.”
Along with Ito, Tara Ansley, Armen Aghaeian and Abhi Goel are adapting with Yasu Kutami and Tsubasa Yamaguchi of Amuse Group USA. Aghaeian, also a senior vice president of Fangoria Studios, expressed that he and the rest of Fangoria are “honored” to work with Ito. “Ito’s stories and images are pure nightmare fuel […] We’re thrilled to bring the horror found in the pages of his work to the biggest screen possible.”
Other Junji Ito Film and Anime Adaptations
Many of Ito’s works have been adapted in recent years. Tomie received a series that ran from 1998 to 2011. Uzumaki also received multiple adaptations, the first being in 2000. Its most recent adaptation, an animated series by Adult Swim and Production IG USA, was delayed due to the animators’ desire not to “degrade its quality by delivering a mediocre final product.” No release date has been announced for the anime. Studio Deen produced the Junji Ito Collection anime, which adapted some of Ito’s stories, in 2018. Netflix produced Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre in 2023, which received mixed reviews. for not grasping the art of mangaka.
Bloodsucking Darkness, one of 13 one-shots in Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection, is about a woman who is obsessed with weight loss and is haunted by nightmares. When she woke up, she found her face and bed covered in blood. One day, she meets a strange young man obsessed with bats and quickly realizes something more terrifying is happening.
There is currently no early window, nor a director announced for Bloodsucking Darkness.
Source: Diversity