Japanese cult filmmaker Takashi Miike—the man behind cinematic fever dreams like “Ichi the Killer” and “Audition”—is teaming up with—who else—pop singer Charli XCX for a new project.
Hollywood has been courting Miike for years, and it looks like it’s finally happening. The director has made hundreds of films—he might as well take a stab now. Joining Charli XCX are Milly Alcock (“Supergirl”), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Kiko Mizuhara (“Attack on Titan”), and Shō Kasamatsu (“Tokyo Vice”).
The film currently goes by “Untitled Kyoto” and follows three lifelong friends who reunite in Kyoto, hoping to revive the bond they once shared. What begins as a lighthearted getaway quickly spirals into terror when Katie (Charli XCX) is overtaken by a brutal, tormented spirit.
Production is expected to begin this month in Japan with the potential for a late 2026 release. Given how quickly Miike works these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has this one ready for the fall fests — maybe a midnight slot at TIFF and Venice.
The project comes hot off the heels of Miike’s “Bad Lieutenant” reimagining, backed by Neon, and starring Shun Oguri (“Godzilla vs. Kong”), Lily James (“Yesterday”), and WWE’s Liv Morgan.
Miike has directed a whopping 103 films. Almost nobody has seen all of them, but the essential works include “Audition,” “Ichi the Killer,” “13 Assassins,” and “Visitor Q.”
As for Ms.XCX, her first actual acting role came in December with “100 Nights of Hero,” and her A24 mockumentary, “The Moment,” was just rolled out to lacklustre reviews. She has Daniel Goldhaber’s “Faces of Death” hitting theaters in April. Romain Gavras’ “Sacrifice” bombed at last year’s TIFF and has yet to be picked up by a distributor. Meanwhile, “I Want Your Sex” and “The Gallerist” both premiered at Sundance in January and are still seeking distribution.
‘Minus Zero’ has been tracking for a $30M+ domestic opening, but that number now feels conservative. We’re looking at a real shot at $40M.