While other networks are busy developing series based on a seemingly limitless amount of indie comic book properties, Quibi appears to be going in a different direction by taping into the Japanese manga market. While the J and K-horror boom has struggled on the big screen (see the recent GRUDGE reboot), the small screen has been relatively untapped when it comes to takes on the horror subgenre. Hopefully, that's all about to change when Quibi dips its toes into the unique world of Japanese body horror.
Quibi announced today that they've given a green light to TOMIE, a series based on Junji Ito’s cult classic horror manga series of the same name, with THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA actress Adeline Rudolph set to lead the series. The series comes from director-producer Alexandre Aja (HIGH TENSION), writer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (AQUAMAN), Sony Pictures Television, and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Written by Johnson-McGoldrick, TOMIE centers around a striking high school girl (Rudolph) who goes missing, and pieces of her body are discovered scattered around a small town. But what starts out as a murder mystery turns into something even more horrific. (via Deadline)
Quibi's upcoming series won't be the first time that Ito’s TOMIE has been adapted for the screen. In fact, eight live-action films based on the series already exist, and an anthology television series had been released in Japan in 1999. While I've yet to experience the horror of Tomie, I must admit that Junji Ito's Cronenbergian art style intrigues me, and I'm hoping that Quibi's show is just as terrifying as some of the source material would suggest.
Are you a fan of Tomie in any of its forms? Does the promise of this adaptation have you considering a Quibi subscription once it arrives? Let us know what you're thinking in the comments section below.