Last year, Japanese-language content shot up the ranks to become the third most-viewed non-English content on Netflix, trailing only behind Korean and Spanish. While Japan is best known for producing some of the finest anime series to exist today, they have also been quietly nurturing their live-action content, tailor-made for the streaming era. To expand the world of Japanese TV, Netflix has recently joined forces with one of the leading cinematic powerhouses in Japan to revive the classic sci-fi, The Human Vapor. 

It will not only open the doors for new collaborations for Netflix, but will also reunite the streaming giant with an acclaimed filmmaker.

It was first announced in 2021 that Netflix would be leasing two sound stages at Toho Studios, Japan’s leading film studio, to help the streaming giant expand its production of original Japanese content. And today, they have announced their first-ever collaboration, a remake of the 1960 sci-fi feature, The Human Vapor. Filmmaker, Yeon Sang-ho, who was behind Train To Busan, and is currently preparing to return with Netflix's Hellbound season 2, would serve as the executive producer and writer of the live-action series. 

Along with Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae, the director and co-writer of Netflix's Parasyte: The Grey, would co-write The Human Vapor. Meanwhile, Shinzo Katayama, who is best known for the Disney+ drama-horror series Gannibal and Missing, would direct the show. The Human Vapor would also see Japanese stars, Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi, reuniting after 23 years on screen, who last worked together in 2001’s Ao to Shiro de Mizuiro. 

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Both Shun Oguri and Yu Aoi expressed their excitement about the upcoming project, and what exactly they are looking forward to. 

In a statement released by Netflix along with the announcement, Shun Oguri shared that one can never guess the "human drama" that The Human Vapor has in store from its title. He also shared his excitement in collaborating with "extraordinary talents from both Japan and Korea" for the show. Even Yu Aoi echoed a similar sentiment, saying, "I am looking forward to discovering what kind of experience this will be". Both leading casts gave a special shoutout to their "incredible" and adventurous team of Japanese cast. 

While the plot details for the upcoming show, The Human Vapor, is still under wraps, one can take a guess from the original film. The original movie focuses on a victim of a scientific experiment, who becomes an unstoppable gaseous mutant and uses his new powers to rob banks to fund the career of his girlfriend. Although there is no release date confirmation, it is anticipated that Netflix's The Human Vapor will take more than a year before it hits the small screens. 

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What do you think about the upcoming The Human Vapor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!