Sep 2
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, running October 26 to November 4, will open with SUKIYAKI: Ue o Muite Arukou, starring Junichi Okada, and close with Colony, a new zombie film from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho. SUKIYAKI dramatizes the birth of the song Sukiyaki, with Okada as Hachidai Nakamura, Tori Matsuzaka as Rokuro Ema, and Taiga Nakano as Kyu Sakamoto. Colony stars Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Ji Chang-wook. Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla -0.0 is the centerpiece.
Jul 23
Netflix announced on July 22, 2026, that it is developing a new live-action series titled "Parasyte: Tamiya," based on Hitoshi Iwaaki's manga "Parasyte." The series centers on the character Ryoko Tamiya, a parasite who takes over a high school teacher's body and later questions coexistence with humans. Shioli Kutsuna stars as Tamiya, with Yeon Sang-ho (director of 2024's "Parasyte: The Grey") serving as planner and co-writer alongside Ryu Yong-jae. Kensaku Kakimoto and Kazuhiro Nakagawa are directing. Production company WOWPOINT returns to develop and produce the series, with Episcope handling production. Filming has already wrapped after a six-month shoot. The series will stream globally on Netflix in 2027. Kutsuna described the role as the most challenging of her career. Yeon Sang-ho praised her performance, saying she "perfectly portrayed the process of a non-human entity understanding humans and its own existence." The original manga, serialized from 1988 to 1995, has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. This is the second live-action adaptation from Yeon Sang-ho, following "Parasyte: The Grey" in 2024.