Japanese stars Oguri Shun (Godzilla vs. Kong) and Aoi Yu (Ruruni Kenshin: The Final Chapter Part 1 – Final) are set to reunite on screen after 23 years in “Human Vapor,” a new Netflix series produced in collaboration with Toho. The duo last worked together on “Ao to Shiro de Mizuiro” in 2001.
“Human Vapor” is a modern reimagining of the 1960 sci-fi thriller of the same name. The original film, directed by “Godzilla” director Ishirō Honda, tells the story of a librarian who gains the ability to transform into a gaseous state after undergoing radiation experiments. Using his newfound powers, he embarks on a series of bank robberies to financially support a struggling dancer he admires. The film is notable for its exploration of societal power structures and oppression.
Yoon Sang-ho, known for “Train to Busan” and “Hellbound,” is set to executive produce the series and co-write the script alongside Ryu Young-jae (“Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area”). Katayama Shinzo, whose credits include “Missing” and “Gannibal,” will direct the series.
The project marks the first-ever partnership between the streaming giant and the popular Japanese studio. The series is being produced in collaboration with Wow Point.
“Among the proposals from Toho is to reimagine the ‘Human Transformation’ series,” Yoon said. [a term for genre of the films released by Toho in the 1950s and 1960s, including “The Invisible Avenger” (1954), “The H-Man” (1958) and “The Secret of the Telegian” (1960)] There was the movie “Human Steam”. It was made in 1960, but the science fiction expressions in it are still impressively clever. I thought if it was remade in modern pictures, it would be really great.
“I was struck by the combination of human drama and romantic elements, despite showing a ridiculous creature like human steam,” Katayama added. “I saw the potential to update this classic piece of special effects using current visual effects graphics and incorporating human drama to make it a very compelling work.”
The duo spent about three years working on the script, focusing on updating the story for a contemporary audience while maintaining its core themes. “Although it’s a sci-fi thriller, at its core it’s a story about people,” Yoon said. “We focused on carefully handling human emotions and portraying the characters’ humanity through the script.”
“We got special permission to shoot in places where filming is not normally allowed. I think we will present images that we have never seen before,” Katayama added.
“Human Vapor” joins a growing list of Korean-Japanese collaborations on Netflix, including the upcoming “Romantic Anonymous” (tentative title) and “Soul Mate.”
