Bloodsucking Darkness: Junji Ito manga getting live-action adaptation from Fangoria Studios

For genre fans who grew up in the 1980s and ’90s, Fangoria will always be one of the biggest names in horror. While under control of various owners, the Fangoria brand has weaved in and out of the movie world over the decades – and the latest iteration of Fangoria launched Fangoria Studios in 2021 “to develop and produce film, television and podcasts.” Now Variety reports that Fangoria Studios is developing a live-action feature film adaptation of the manga Bloodsucking Darkness, created by Junji Ito, with The Haunting of Hill House writer Jeff Howard working on the screenplay. The search for a director is now underway.

Apparently also known as Blood Slurping Darkness, Ito’s manga is a twisted vampire story that centers on a young woman who develops an eating disorder after her boyfriend breaks up with her. She meets a boy who is concerned about her weight loss… and then things take a turn that involves vampire bats and a whole lot of blood.

Bloodsucking Darkness is the first of three projects Fangoria intends to adapt from Smashed: Junji Ito Story Collection. Ito provided the following statement: “Fangoria Studios is going to adapt my manga! I’m so excited to see how it will turn out. I hope I get to see the trailer in my dreams tonight.“

Howard added: “When I found out a live action Junji Ito adaptation was going to happen, I chased after it with everything I had, because I just couldn’t live with anyone else getting there before me. The combination of fear and feelings is where I always want to be.”

Ito is producing Bloodsucking Darkness alongside Fangoria Studios’ Tara Ansley, Armen Aghaeian, and Abhi Goel, plus Amuse Group USA’s Yasu Kutami and Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Howard serves as executive producer with Friel Films’ Phil Wurtzel, Zero Gravity Management’s Ryan Lewis and Joe Riley, and Kevin Nicklaus.

Aghaeian had this to say: “Ito’s stories and visuals are pure nightmare fuel. The team at Fangoria is honored to be working alongside Junji Ito. We are excited to bring the horror found in the pages of his work to life onto the biggest screens possible.“

How does Bloodsucking Darkness sound to you? Have you read the manga, and are you interested in seeing a live-action adaptation? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

In addition to working on the Netflix / Mike Flanagan series The Haunting of Hill House, Howard also wrote the films Oculus, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, and Gerald’s Game with Flanagan, and also worked on his Midnight Mass series. Remaining in the Netflix realm, he wrote an episode of the Resident Evil series.