Japanese producer Taka Ichise, who was integral to bringing J-horror to global prominence with titles like The Ring (Ringu) and The Grudge (Ju-on), is developing a new slate of horror films for the US market, Deadline has learned.

Ichise has entered a development and financing pact with QWGmire (The Life of Chuck, Normal), the independent production and film financing company founded by Molly C. Quinn, Matthew M. Welty, and Elan Gale.

Deadline notes, “The intention is to create a new generation of horror films that draw from the unsettling power, psychological intensity, and cinematic ambition that made J-horror a defining force in global genre filmmaking.”

Specific details on the projects have not been revealed, but Ichis and QWGmire already have four films in development with an eye toward shooting over the next 18 months.

“Since I was a child, I have always loved the feeling of sitting in a movie theater and being truly surprised by what unfolds on screen,” said Ichise. “With this new partnership, we want to create that kind of experience again through stories that stay with audiences long after they leave the theater. I am excited to work with QWGmire because they share the same passion for bold, unforgettable filmmaking, and I look forward to bringing these new projects to life together.”

“Taka Ichise crafted my favorite mysteries and authored many of my nightmares,” added Gale. “The opportunity to help create a new generation of horror films for a new generation of viewers is beyond my wildest dreams. We are honored to collaborate with him and cannot wait to share his new visions with the world.”

In addition to the Ring and Grudge franchises, Ichise’s producing credits include Dark Water, Shutter, Noroi: The Curse, Flight 7500, and Necronomicon.

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Shudder has acquired Hallowarrior ahead of its Tribeca Film Festival premiere on June 10, Variety has learned.

The post-apocalyptic horror thriller will arrive on the streamer this Halloween season.

Hereditary‘s Milly Shapiro stars as Pumpkin, the last girl on earth and sole survivor of a humanity-ending plague, scavenging the wasteland for supplies on the eve of Halloween.

Pumpkin’s lonely holiday ritual is interrupted by the arrival of a savage gang of raiders at her doorstep. Outnumbered and armed with candy, wit, and weapons, Pumpkin must ferociously fight back to survive the night.

Ajani Russell (“Betty”), AJ Bowen (You’re Next), and Shannyn Sossamon (Sinister 2) round out the cast.

Writer-director Ben Sottak makes his feature directorial debut on the project, based on his 2021 short Scavenger.

“Hallowarrior is a love letter to horror and Halloween, and I am thrilled that the film has found its home with a distributor whose brand is synonymous with both,” said Sottak. “It’s an honor to have Hallowarrior join the Shudder family, and a treat to introduce their audience to this fun, scary, gory film along with its badass lead, Pumpkin, played by the incredible Milly Shapiro.”

“From the moment we saw Hallowarrior, we knew this was a natural fit for Shudder,” added IFC Entertainment Group director of acquisitions and productions Adam Koehler. “The film fully understands what genre fans come to the platform for — strong scares, spooky atmosphere and a wild ride. It’s the kind of horror that plays directly to our audience and reinforces why the service is such a trusted home for bold, crowd-pleasing genre filmmaking, especially around the Halloween season.”

Hallowarrior is produced by Sottak & Emmajane Hoffman for Strange Aeons, Gabriel Rosenstein for The Spitting Image, and Danielle Benedict & Jake Casey for The Dazey Phase. Sossamon and Alec Ring serve as executive producers.

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