Focus Features is close to finalizing a deal to create a film adaptation of the 1997 horror-thriller novel ‘Audition,’ originally written by Ryū Murakami. This project revisits the story first brought to cinemas by the renowned Japanese director Takashi Miike in 1999, featuring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina in the lead roles, and a screenplay by Daisuke Tengan.

The production will be a collaborative effort between Focus, Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment, and Mario Kassar Productions. The team has chosen Christian Tafdrup, a Danish director known for ‘Speak No Evil,’ to helm the screenplay, which he is co-writing with his brother Mads Tafdrup.

The storyline of ‘Audition’ unfolds around a widower conducting mock auditions to find a new wife, only to stumble upon a candidate with a chilling secret and a sinister history. The narrative swiftly transitions into a gripping psychological horror. Although the original film wasn’t a commercial success in Japan, it has gained a substantial following in the West and is considered one of Miike’s most acclaimed works.

The upcoming movie will not be a remake of Miike’s classic film is seen as a fresh interpretation of Murakami’s novel.

Focus will co-produce the film with Hyde Park’s Ashok and Priya Amritraj and Mario Kassar for MKP. Murakami himself will serve as an executive producer, alongside Chris McGurk and Yolanda Macias for Cineverse, known for their work on ‘Terrifier 2’ and 3. Joyce Jun is also on board as an executive producer.

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