At the base of Mount Fuji lays the Aokigahara forest, also known as the Suicide Forest or Sea of Trees, which has long been associated with demons in Japanese mythology and is unfortunately a very popular spot for suicides. A new horror/thriller from Jason Zada will find Natalie Dormer venturing into the Aokigahara forest in search of her missing twin sister; along the way, she'll encounter jump scares, ignore her guides, and trip over her two left feet. Swell!
Check out the trailer for THE FOREST right here!
I'm calling it right now, her sister died when they were kids and the whole film takes place in her head while she's committing suicide; you're welcome. Despite the sadness surrounding the place, you'd think that Hollywood would have cashed in on the built-in mythology that Aokigahara provides, but the only other western film I can think of which features the infamous forest is Gus Van Sant's SEA OF TREES.
Here’s the official synopsis for THE FOREST:
A supernatural thriller set in the legendary Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan. A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), goes in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. Despite everyone’s warnings to “stay on the path,” Sara enters the forest determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate – only to be confronted by the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who wanders into the forest.
THE FOREST is set for a January 8, 2016 release; oh, that's a shame.