Jeff Howard, who wrote the screenplay for “The Haunting of Hill House,” is writing it for Fangoria Studios.
Fangoria, the genre company, will adapt three tales from Junji Ito’s horror manga book “Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection” into live-action movies. A movie based on the mangaka’s vampire story Bloodsucking Darkness will start off the scares. Jeff Howard, a screenwriter most known for his work on The Haunting of Hill House, will develop the script and serve as an executive producer for Fangoria.
Ito said about the news, as he teased, Bloodsucking Darkness has some relation to dreams.
“Fangoria Studios is going to adapt my manga! I’m so excited to see how it will turn out. Hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight!”
Following a painful breakup, Nami, a young woman, develops an eating disorder and starts throwing up blood in the original story. As a boy in her class begins obsessing about her health and takes horrifying steps to aid her, things take an unsettling turn. She starts having nightmares in which blood pours down on her and a terrible vampire visage threatens her, and every time she wakes up, the bed is soaked in blood. It ends with a typical Ito twist that is positively nauseating and fits perfectly in with his best work.
Ito initially wrote stories in his leisure time between his work as a dental technician, but he didn’t begin producing manga professionally until the 1980s. But after serialising his masterpiece Uzumaki in Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan) in 1998, he really took off and is now regarded as one of the best and most brilliant contemporary horror writers. He continues to publish highly regarded works like Gyo and Smashed in addition to a humorous manga adaptation of The Lighthouse. He has even received recognition for his talents in the United States, winning several awards at the Eisner Awards, including four for Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia.
Howard and Fangoria face a challenging task in adapting Junji Ito’s work
However, Ito’s works haven’t been as successfully adapted. The subpar Junji Ito Maniac on Netflix and the poorly regarded Junji Ito Collection mark the second time that attempts to adapt the mangaka’s stories into anime have failed. By contrast, Bloodsucking Darkness has the advantage of being a live-action film, and Howard has the credentials necessary to support his inclusion. He frequently collaborated with Mike Flanagan on Gerald’s Game, The Haunting of Hill House, Oculus, and the Netflix sensation Midnight Mass.
“When I found out a live-action Junji Ito adaptation was going to happen, I chased after it with everything I had, because I just couldn’t live with anyone else getting there before me,” Howard said of getting the opportunity. “The combination of fear and feelings is where I always want to be.” Fangoria Studios SVP Armen Aghaeian concurred with his sentiments, adding “Ito’s stories and visuals are pure nightmare fuel. The team at Fangoria is honored to be working alongside Junji Ito. We are excited to bring the horror found in the pages of his work to life onto the biggest screens possible.”
Aghaeian, in collaboration with Yasu Kutami and Tsubasa Yamaguchi of Amuse Group USA, will produce the film under Fangoria Studios. Tara Ansley, Abhi Goel, and Aghaeian will also be involved in the project. Co-executive producers for the film are Ryan Lewis and Joe Riley from Zero Gravity Management, while executive producers Kevin Nicklaus and Phil Wurtzel, through Friel Productions, will play a crucial role in the production. Kevin Nicklaus, in particular, will be instrumental in the film’s development.
For more information on Fangoria’s adaptation of Bloodsucking Darkness, check back here at StreamingSight. Check out the breathtaking teaser and update for Adult Swim’s Uzumaki adaptation below:
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