A new international partnership is bringing Junji Ito's classic horror story to the big screen. Toei, Thai film studio M Studio, and South Korean production company Showbox announced Monday that they're producing a live-action adaptation of "The Long Hair in the Attic" (Yaneura no Nagai Kami), one of Ito's most unsettling one-shot manga tales.

Directing the film is Thai filmmaker Sitisiri Mongkolsiri, known for his work on The Red Line, Hunger, and Inhuman Kiss. The production team plans to complete development this year before kicking off principal photography in 2027.

"The Long Hair in the Attic" originally appeared in Asahi Sonorama's Monthly Halloween magazine back in 1988. The story follows Chiemi, a young woman who grows out her hair after her boyfriend expresses a preference for long-haired girls. When the relationship ends, she decides to finally cut it—but before she can, her sister discovers something far more horrifying. It's vintage Ito: a premise grounded in everyday romance that spirals into visceral nightmare fuel.

This isn't the first time the story has left the page. A Japanese live-action adaptation was released in 2000, and it was adapted as an anime episode for the 2023 omnibus series Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre. English readers have encountered the manga through multiple releases, including collections from ComicsOne, Dark Horse Comics, and most recently Viz Media's 2021 Deserter: Junji Ito Story Collection.

With three major studios from different countries collaborating on this project, the adaptation signals growing international interest in bringing Ito's catalog to live-action audiences. His work has proven fertile ground for screen adaptations over the years, and this cross-continental effort suggests filmmakers continue to see potential in his distinctly Japanese brand of horror. The combination of Mongkolsiri's directorial style and a three-country production team should make for an intriguing take on this decades-old tale of obsession and dread.