The legendary tokusatsu film "The Human Vapor" from Toho will be rebooted as a live-action series, marking the first collaboration between Netflix and Toho. The project, six years in the making from concept to script development and now nearing its start of filming, sees Executive Producer and screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho and director Shinzo Katayama sharing their thoughts and experiences.

Directed by Ishiro Honda, the creator of "Godzilla," "The Human Vapor" was originally released by Toho in 1960. The film, renowned for its thrilling portrayal of societal issues, remains a classic sci-fi thriller more than half a century later. Loved by fans worldwide, the movie will be reborn as a Netflix series set in modern Japan, titled "The Human Vapor." The main cast includes Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi, reuniting in a live-action project after 23 years.

Executive producer and screenwriter Yeon Sang-ho is known for global hits such as "Train to Busan" (2016), the Netflix series "Hellbound" (2021), and "Parasite: The Grey" (2024).

Director Katayama worked under director Bong Joon-ho on films like "Parasite" (2019) and directed ambitious projects such as "Siblings of the Cape" (2019), "Missing" (2022), and the streaming drama "Gannibal" (2022). Yeon Sang-ho deeply admires Katayama's talent.

The global content production company WOW POINT, which has garnered worldwide attention, will join the project in co-production, with scriptwriter Ryu Yong-jae, who wrote "Parasite: The Grey," collaborating on the screenplay.

The following interview with Yeon Sang-ho and director Katayama took place at Toho Studios' Stage 9, a revered site with a 70-year history of producing iconic tokusatsu films.

Interview

Interviewer:
Yeon Sang-ho, I heard that you met Toho producer Hyo Nen in 2018 and chose "The Human Vapor" from the proposed projects. What attracted you to it?

Yeon:
I have always been a fan of subculture films and was interested in Toho's tokusatsu movies. Toho proposed a reimagining of their "Transforming Human Series." Although "The Human Vapor" was made in 1960, it remains a highly accomplished and skillfully crafted sci-fi film even today. I felt that rebooting it with modern visual effects would make for an exciting project.

Interviewer:
Director Shinzo Katayama was then chosen to helm the project.

Katayama:
I knew of "The Human Vapor" but hadn't seen it. Upon watching it, I was captivated. The idea of a gas human may seem fantastical, but the film's human drama and romance elements drew me in. I felt that remaking it with modern CGI while maintaining its human drama would result in a great film.

Yeon:
Toho suggested Katayama, so I watched his drama "The Wandering Blade" (2021). Though it has a Korean adaptation, I found Katayama's version to be the best and most well-crafted. His skill in eliciting emotions and his innovative camera work impressed me.

Katayama:
We spent about three years developing the script, including script camps in Korea. Yeon would act out scenes, playing multiple roles, which made a strong impression. He showed me his performance ideas, and I would give instant feedback, showing our collaborative process.

Yeon:
Writing a story set in Japan as Koreans was challenging. We watched many Japanese films for inspiration. Collaborating closely with Katayama and Toho's producers, we aimed to ensure our script resonated with Japanese audiences despite being written by foreigners.

Interviewer:
Why did you cast Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi?

Yeon:
When writing the script, Aoi immediately came to mind, and I suggested her to Katayama. She's renowned in Korea for "Hana and Alice" (2004) and her performance in "Wife of a Spy" (2020) was incredible. I'm eager to see her bring my script to life.

Katayama:
Oguri and Aoi's reunion in live-action after 23 years excites me. Capturing their expressions and physical beauty on screen will be a joy.

Interviewer:
Yeon, you have always aimed for projects to succeed globally from Asia. How do you approach this?

Yeon:
I used to think only the U.S. could produce such genre films. Now, both Korea and Japan have the environment to create them. With platforms like Netflix, Asian content can reach a global audience. We strive to make universally enjoyable works.

Katayama:
While it's great to reach a global audience, I focus on making something entertaining for us and those involved. I believe if we pursue what we find interesting, it will naturally reach the world.

Interviewer:
Any final thoughts for your eager audience?

Yeon:
We're incredibly excited and hope everyone will look forward to the film, which we expect to release in over a year.

Katayama:
We’ve taken our time preparing, gaining special permissions for unique locations. We aim to deliver never-before-seen visuals in Japanese cinema, which also motivates us. Please look forward to it.

(Interview by SYO)

Source : ORICON NEWS