Prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike is reportedly making a return to the horror genre with his next film, which is as of yet untitled. Miike will direct a script by Kikumi Yamagishi (Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai, The Happiness of the Katakuris) based on Yotsuya Kaiden — the same ghost story which provided the inspiration for Ringu (remade in the United States by Gore Verbinski as The Ring).
Miike has been earmarked by horror aficionados for helming the lauded and controversial 1999 film Audition, which is what makes this such exciting news. Miike is consistently one of the most creative, eccentric and edgy Japanese filmmakers working today.
From the press release announcing the film:
“Miike’s untitled project blurs the line between reality and nightmare when an actor named Kosuke plays the lead role of “Iemon” (Ebizo Ichikawa; Hara-kiri: Death of a Samurai) in a staged play of Yotsuya Kaiden. His lover Miyuki joins him on stage to play “Oiwa” (Hideaki Ito; Sukiyaki Western Django, Lesson of the Evil), but as they become engrossed in the performances, their personal life begins to disintegrate and their love, hate, and grudge for each other takes over. As the two worlds begin to meld, they are thrown into their own hell with the play beginning to horrifyingly unfold in real life.”
Sounds similar to Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 Oscar winner Black Swan. This may very well turn out to be the highlight of the seven or so films Takashi Miike will end up completing this year.
SOURCE: Dread Central
