Renowned Japanese horror directors Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Takashi Shimizu are joining forces for a new project. The two masters, who led the J-Horror boom in the early 2000s, will collaborate on an original series for the global streaming platform Disney+.
According to reports on October 21, Kurosawa and Shimizu will direct key episodes of the six-part Japanese supernatural horror anthology series titled 'Night Tales Club,' produced by Walt Disney Company. The series is set to premiere globally on Disney+ and Hulu in January 2027.
Kurosawa is celebrated for films such as 'Cure,' 'Pulse,' and the Venice Film Festival award-winning 'Wife of a Spy,' establishing his unique position in global cinema. Shimizu is known for the 'Ju-on' franchise and its Hollywood remake, 'The Grudge,' which sparked a worldwide interest in J-Horror. The collaboration between these two iconic figures has garnered significant attention from global film and genre enthusiasts.
This project is based on a collection of short horror stories by prominent Japanese horror novelist Ichirō Sawamura, who also wrote the original novel for the film 'Onda.' Sawamura is directly involved in the adaptation, ensuring that the original's chilling psychological elements are preserved.
The narrative centers around a successful businessman named Hōjō, who becomes obsessed with supernatural phenomena. Japanese actor Takayuki Yamada plays Hōjō, serving as the guide and central figure of the story. In the series, Hōjō believes that ghosts, curses, and bizarre paranormal events represent a 'system bug' revealing hidden conspiracies in the world. He offers a reward of 20 million yen (approximately $180,000) to anyone who brings actual ghost stories and physical evidence to his group, the 'Night Tales Club.'
In addition to Kurosawa and Shimizu, the series features a total of seven top Japanese directors. Shinzō Katayama, known for the Disney+ hit 'Carnival,' along with Yukiko Sode, Yūichirō Sakashita, and Yōsuke Nakamura, will each direct one episode. The main sequence featuring Yamada is directed by Kenji Nakajima, known for Netflix's 'Tokyo Scammers,' with Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer of the Academy Award-winning 'Drive My Car,' also involved in the production.
Original author Sawamura expressed his excitement, stating, "As the original creator, I feel immense surprise and joy that the stories I wrote will be adapted into a visual format to terrify audiences worldwide."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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