New Japanese Shark Film "ONSEN SHARK” in production
ONSEN SHARK- Feature Film from Japan -
The film is a vehicle to spread the beauty of Japan. The indie filmmaker who won the National Monster Movie Championship for two consecutive years is now diving into shark movies with TOKUSATSU SFX. We hit our goal of raising 1 million yen in just 5 hours through a Japanese crowdfunding website and have already hit 1140% of our goal. It's a shark movie like you’ve never seen before and it will be a new challenge for Japanese cinema!
Synopsis
There have been cases of mysterious disappearances of Onsen visitors in Atsumi city in S prefecture. The victims were eventually found dead with signs of severe injuries to their bodies resembling a vicious shark attack. The police chief of Atsumi city investigates and unravels the mystery behind their deaths. A vicious shark has resurrected from ancient times and has been visiting the hot springs to attack people. This becomes a battle between Atsumi and the ferocious shark.
Highlights
Entry scenes of the shark will be created using special modeling to the best possible extent with TOKUSATSU special effects. We will of course use CG! Cameos include MACCHO and special submarine, Atsumi Maru with the hope to satisfy both shark movie fans and TOKUSATSU film fans. We will fabricate a full scale Onsen-Shark tail, dorsal fin, a controllable shark head in guignol (a large-hand puppet), and a special shark-fighting submarine.
Goals
[Point 1]
It’s a trending topic in Japan. We’d like to present this new concept in Japanese filmmaking to the world!! There are many shark movies that were smash hits all over the world, such as JAWS, DEEP BLUE SEA, The Shallows, Open Water and the summer blockbuster Meg 2: The Trench. The film is currently in production and set in well-know Onsen town Atami in Shizuoka prefecture.
The idea for the film came about when the producer, Masayuki Nagata moved to the city of Atami five years ago. The production began with the desire to make a film in Atami and the cooperation of a shark movie buyer named “Shark Movie Rookie” along with director and screenwriter Morihito Inoue, a two time winner of the National Monster Movie Championship.
The music was produced by Yuzuru Jinma with the theme song written by Storytellings. Atami-based musician Koichi Makigami appears in the movie for the first time in 41 years along with legendary musician Susumu Hirasawa contributing special sound effects, his first in a live-action movie.
The crowdfunding campaign in Japan launched in June 2023 which reached its goal of 1 million yen in just 5 hours. This achievement was followed by funding through Next Challenge 489 exceeding 4890,000 yen on July 3rd. The final funding Final Goal 1000 resulted in the amount of 10,000,000 yen. On July 17th which falls on Marine Day, a national holiday in Japan, the number of supporters reached 1,278 people with 11,406,100 yen (80,000 US dollars) in funding.
The response has gone beyond shark movie fans on social media with 40,000 likes in 24 hours. The movie has also been reported on newspapers and on TV, creating buzz and high expectations even before production is finished.
[Point 2]
A new era of TOKUSATSU SFX film is born! Captivate the world with authentic TOKUSATSU special effects! Onsen Shark will be produced utilizing TOKUSATSU special effects. The full-scaled scenes with special effects will be filmed in the fall of 2023 in Sukagawa City, Fukushima Prefecture with the cooperation of local residents. Sukagawa is also known as the hometown of director Eiji Tsuburaya, the creator of Godzilla and Ultraman. Scenes with destruction of buildings and sharks exploding will be filmed using VFX techniques resulting in the TOKUSATSU effect. In addition, we will create a spectacular finish with miniature shooting!
[Point 3]
Onsen, one of Japan’s beloved traditions, will be in the movie!
To normalize and spread the use of hot spring emoji ♨ across the world.
Mt. Fuji, ninja, and sushi! There are many beautiful traditions in Japan, but let’s not forget about the Onsen (hot springs) and the unique bath culture that surrounds it. There is some thought that went into the title of Onsen Shark. One major influence is Amity Island, the now infamous tourist destination and setting for Steven Spielberg's breakthrough JAWS. Many fans still visit the island today as the island evokes feelings from the film which can contribute to local revitalization.
Onsen Shark will lead to an increase in tourism and promotion of Atami City. Creating a film on the topic of Onsen will lead to an increase in movies being shot at the many onsens throughout Japan. Onsens are of course popular destinations for the Japanese, but overseas tourists also enjoy them. The perfect destination for sharks to come out!
2020
Started thinking of ways to help young creators that had lost work due to the pandemic. Produced a short film set in Atami city. Atami Monster (dir. Mika Akizuki) The marriage of local film and genre film (two distinctly Japanese film genres) led to conceiving of the Onsen Shark project
2021
Onsen Shark was canceled due to the pandemic and landslides in Atami and Izuyama.
● Produced a superhero film to support the affected Onsen areas. Bath-Diver, The Onsen Guardian (dir. Morihito Inoue)
● Produced the horror film Karakasa Umbrella (dir. Kenji Yamamoto), Japan Horror Film Awards: Occult Award Winner
2022
● Produced a local superheroine TOKUSATSU film. Fukushima Job Hunting Story (dir. Morihito Inoue)
2023
The project has developed significantly with the participation of Shark Movie Rookie. Establishes the start of the project.
June 4: Japanese crowdfunding campaign launch. Achieved 1 million yen in just 5 hours.
July 3: The “Next Challenge 489” funding campaign exceeds 4890,000 yen. July 17: The “Final Goal 1000” funding campaign exceeds 10,000,000 yen.
July 17: Crowdfunding campaign ends on Marine Day, a holiday in Japan. 11,406,100 yen achieved (80,000 US dollars) Backers :1,278 people
July 26: Filming of submarine scenes
September 22-26: The TOKUSATSU special effects scenes were filmed in Sukagawa City
Filming concludes / Post Production Scheduled to be completed in December, 2023
Cast and Crew
Screenplay & Director: Morihito Inoue
Morihito Inoue was born in 1993, Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan. Inoue graduated from the Department of Science of Design at Musashino Art University. He is currently a freelance filmmaker with two consecutive wins at the National Monster Movie Championship (2018-19).
[Filmography]
Bath-Diver The Onsen Guardian (2021: 22min)
Fukushima Job Hunting Story and Awakening of The Dragon (2022: 22min)
Music: Yuzuru Jinma
Composer (Music Composition, Arrangement, Production, Orchestration, Vocalist). Originally from Kitami, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. In 2022, he formed the music unit “Storytellings” with vocalist “kui.”and directed music for Bath-Diver The Onsen Guardian (2021) and Fukushima Job Hunting Story and Awakening of The Dragon (2022).
Special Sound Effects: Susumu Hirasawa
Born in Tokyo, Japan, he made his debut in 1979 with P-MODEL. He became a central figure in the techno-pop/new wave movement. In 1989, he released his solo album Jikuu no Mizu (Water of Space and Time) with a stateless sound that focuses more on the track. It’s a blend of the past (mythology/folk world) and the future (science fiction/computer world) merging in the present. He established his own unique musical world. Since 1994, he has been holding "interactive live shows" that he devised himself, using computers and CG to interact with the audience. In 1999, he was one of the first artists in Japan to distribute his music over the internet. He has always been ahead of the time in how he approaches music and the industry and continues to influence various artists both within and outside the music industry.
He has directed music for Satoshi Kon’s anime series Millennium Actress, Paranoia Agent, Paprika and the soundtrack for the film, TV series, and video games for Berserk by Kentaro Miura. The theme song for Paprika, “Byakkoya no Musume" had been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Special Effects & Shark Mold: Yusuke Miki
Born in 1993. He had been interested in the world of special effects since childhood and aspired to create monster costumes. Currently, he is working as an assistant art director for special effects production. He also works as a figure sculptor. He has also been a modeling instructor at the Sukagawa Tokusatsu Juku (special effects school) since 2022. Since meeting the director, Inoue in 2015, he has participated in many of his films as a staff member.
[Filmography]
Assistant Director / SEVENGER FIGHT (2021) Assistant Art Director / ULTRAMAN Z (2020), Bath-Diver The Onsen Guardian (2021), Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks (2022), When You Wish upon a Black Hole (2023), Brush of the God (TBD). Special Effects / Dullahan Monster and The Long Night of Spiritual Darkness (2020), Musashino Magic High School Dragon Hunting Story (2019), UNFIX (2019 2023).
Executive Producer: Masayuki Nagata
Born in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture. He currently lives in Atami city and is the CEO of PLAN A, a video production company. (Video producer, director, drone operator.) He started his career in television production and was in charge of variety shows, documentaries, and informative programs. He currently produces TV programs and TV commercials, as well as promotional videos and events. He has also been producing movie sets in Atami city since 2020. Production work includes Atami Monster, Bath-Diver The Onsen Guardian, Karakasa Umbrella and Fukushima Job Hunting Story and Awakening of The Dragon. In addition, he participated in filming, editing, and drone photography for the upcoming monster movie War of the Ninja Monsters: Jaron vs. Gouradirected by Shinpei Hayashiya.
Main CAST
Kiyobumi Kaneko
Takuya Fujimura Masaki Naito
Yu Nakanishi Shigeo Osako Koichi Makigami Mio Takaki Shoichiro Akaboshi
Following Master Yoda’s teachings, "No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." We will produce a shark movie that Japan can be proud of! The setting is Atami Onsen, one of the best tourist destinations in Japan. I would like to revitalize the local community and increase its appeal through the power of film. I have a dream to make Atami the Hollywood Cannes of Japan.
We decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign in order to deliver a movie that people would like to see rather than simply making it.
We are confident that by adding the essence of local films and the director's tokusatsu special effects to a shark movie, we will be able to create an amazing work that has never been seen before. If this film succeeds, I hope to make more films throughout the hot spring resorts in Japan. We will surely deliver Onsen Shark as a wonderful movie to shark movie fans, tokusatsu SFX fans, onsen fans, and the supporters around the world. Please support us in any way you can!
Masayuki Nagata (Onsen Shark / Executive Producer)