An English language remake of Takeshi Furusawa’s 2006 horror thriller Ghost Train is on the way. All Nippon Entertainment Works today announced that they have partnered with Depth of Field Productions and Shochiku for the story of a mysterious force that invades an underground commuter train and terrifies its passengers.
The original film (Otoshimono, originally starring Erika Sawajiri, Shun Oguri and Chinatsu Wakatsuki) centers on the disappearances and horrific challenges a group of commuters face after finding a lost ticket at a subway station deep underground. The film explores the value of family, friendship and the power of a past curse’s influence on these peoples’ lives.
“The original inspiration for ‘Otoshimono’ was numerous American horror titles, which makes this remake feel like a homecoming for the property,” Furusawa said. “I’m very excited to see how the original version evolves in the American remake version,” Ishizuka added.
“Our new relationship with ANEW to co-produce ‘Ghost Train,’ marks a pivotal moment and exciting opportunity for all of us at Depth of Field to break new ground in bringing Japanese-originated properties to English-speaking audiences worldwide,” Depth of Field’s Andrew Miano said.
“Film projects based on, or inspired by, Japanese storytelling have been very successful internationally in recent years and the adaptation of the fresh and original ‘Ghost Train’ for the English-speaking audience builds on this trend,” said Annmarie Bailey, ANEW’s Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs. “This property represents the first of several planned projects from a pool of the best Japanese-originated horror and anime properties that will benefit from Hollywood sensibilities and popular storytelling.”
Depth of Field’s Dan Balgoyen is overseeing the English language adaptation of Ghost Train, which is being written by Josh Miller and Patrick Casey (“Golan the Insatiable”). Furusawa and original producer Yoshitaka Ishizuka will also be involved in developing the adaptation. The producers expect to commence shooting in 2015 for a targeted 2016 release.
