Takashi Shimizu (清水崇 ''Shimizu Takashi'', born 27 July 1972) is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

. He is best known for being the creator of the ''Ju-On'' franchise, and directing four of its films, internationally, in both Japan and the U.S. According to film scholar

Wheeler Winston Dixon Wheeler Winston Dixon (born March 12, 1950) is an American filmmaker and scholar. He is an expert on film history, Film theory, theory and Film criticism, criticism.Bill Goodykoontz, December 23, 2012, USA TodayDefining Tarantino Accessed Aug. 25, ...

, Shimizu is "one of a new breed of Japanese horror directors" who prefers to "suggest menace and violence rather than directly depict it".

Early life

Shimizu was born on 27 July 1972, in

Maebashi is the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 335,352 in 151,171 households, and a population density of 1100 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It was ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. He attended Wakamiya Elementary School and Maebashi City Fourth Junior High School before graduating from Gunma Prefectural Chuo High School. He initially enrolled in

Kindai University is a private non-sectarian and coeducational university based in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan with campuses in five other locations: Nara, Nara; Ōsakasayama, Osaka; Uchita, Wakayama; Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima; and Iizuka, Fukuoka. The ...

but dropped out. He then enrolled in

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice, in 1889. The university's name is derived from the Ja ...

where he met future collaborator and film producer Takashige Ichise. Together they went on to develop ''

Ju-On is a Japanese horror media franchise, franchise created by Takashi Shimizu. The franchise began in 1998 with the release of the short films Katasumi and 4444444444, ''Katasumi'' and ''4444444444''. Shimizu attended the Film School of Tokyo, w ...

''.

Career

After graduating, he was given the opportunity to direct a short film for Kansai TV's horror omnibus "Gakkou no Kaidan G" when writer and director

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023). Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...

, who was teaching a filmmaking class that Shimizu, then working as an assistant director, attended, was impressed by a three-minute short film Shimizu had written and directed. The short films would end up being ''Katasumi'' and ''4444444444'', later serving as forerunners to the franchise. Shortly afterwards, Shimizu made his directorial debut with the supernatural horror, '' Ju-On: The Curse'' (2000), starring Takashi Matsuyama,

Takako Fuji is a Japanese actress, voice actress, and dancer from Tokyo, Japan. She is best known for her performances as Kayako Saeki in the ''Ju-On'' and '' Grudge'' franchises. Biography A native of Tokyo, Fuji studied acting at the Aoyama Gakuin Univers ...

, Yūrei Yanagi and

Chiaki Kuriyama is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She played Takako Chigusa in Kinji Fukasaku's 2000 film '' Battle Royale'', Gogo Yubari in Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'', and Yuko Mizushima in Sion Sono's 2007 film ''Exte''. ...

in lead roles, followed by its sequel, '' Ju-On: The Curse 2.'' Despite the films releasing in direct-to-video formats, they were met with critical acclaim. The critical success of the films hence led to theatrical remakes, '' Ju-On: The Grudge'' (2002), and '' Ju-On: The Grudge 2'' (2003). The two films were met with critical and commercial success, eventually popularizing J-Horror internationally which led to Western remakes, in the form of ''

The Grudge ''The Grudge'' is a 2004 American supernatural horror film directed by Takashi Shimizu, written by Stephen Susco, and produced by Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Takashige Ichise. A remake of Shimizu's 2002 Japanese horror film '' Ju-On: The ...

'' (2004) and '' The Grudge 2'' (2006), as Shimizu returned to direct and write them. However, the English remakes were met with a widespread mixed reception, albeit their commercial success. The

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

quickly greenlit a

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

, as Shimizu was offered to direct, but chose to produce instead, prompting a replacement in form of Toby Wilkins. The film was met with overwhelmingly negative reception, despite commercial success in both its direct-to-video and theatrical releases. Following the negative reception, Shimizu returned to Japanese cinema, and has continued focusing his work there.

Filmography

# '' Blue Tiger'' (Movie, 1994, Script) # '' Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi~'' (ラストブロンクス -東京番外地-) (1997) (Video) # ''Katasumi'' and ''4444444444'', stories from Gakkou no kaidan G (学校の怪談G) (lit, "School Ghost Story G") (1998) (TV) # '' Ju-on: The Curse'' (呪怨) (2000) (Video) # '' Ju-on: The Curse 2'' (呪怨2) (2000) (Video) # 首吊り気球　伊藤潤二恐怖Collection (Video) # 心霊ビデオV　本当にあった怖い話　恐怖心霊写真館 (Shin rei bideo V: Honto ni atta kowai hanashi - kyoufushin rei shashin-kan) (2000) (Video) # 心霊ビデオVI　本当にあった怖い話　恐怖タレント体験談 (Shin rei bideo VI: Honto ni atta kowai hanashi - kyoufu tarento taikendan) (2000) (Video) # '' Tomie: Re-birth'' (富江 rebirth) (2001) # '' Ju-on: The Grudge'' (呪怨) (2002) # '' Ju-on: The Grudge 2'' (呪怨2) (2003) # ''

'' (2004) # '' Marebito'' (2004) # '' Dark Tales of Japan'', episode ''Blonde Kwaidan'', (2004) (TV) # '' The Great Horror Family'', TV Series (2004–2005) # ''

Reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...

'', (''輪廻 Rinne'') (2005) # '' The Grudge 2'' (2006) # ''Ghost vs. Alien 03'' (2007) # ''Ten Nights of Dream'' (2006) # '' The Shock Labyrinth 3D'' (戦慄迷宮3D) (2009) # '' Tormented'' (2011) # ''Scared of the Dark'' (2013) # '' Flight 7500'' (2014) # ''

Kiki's Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese Anime, animated fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on Eiko Kadono's 1985 novel ''Kiki's Delivery Service (novel), Kiki's Delivery Service''. Animated by Studio Ghibli, the film stars Minami ...

'' (2014),

live-action Live action is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live action with animation to create a live-action animated feature film. Live action is used to define film, video games or ...

adaptation of the novel of the same name # ''NightCry'' (2015),

trailer for the video game '' NightCry'', formerly known as ''Project Scissors'' # '' Resident Evil: Vendetta'' (''Biohazard: Vendetta'') (2017, executive producer) # ''Innocent Curse'' (こどもつかい) (2017) # ''Howling Village'' (犬鳴村) (2019) # ''Suicide Forest Village'' (樹海村) (2021) # ''

Homunculus A homunculus ( , , ; "little person", : homunculi , , ) is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has root ...

'' (2021) # ''Ox-Head Village'' (牛首村) (2022) # ''Immersion'' (忌怪島) (2023) # ''Sana'' (ミンナのウタ) (2023) # ''Sana: Let Me Hear'' (2024)

Accolades

* 2022 — Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award at 21st New York Asian Film Festival.

References

External links

*
Shimizu's JMDb entry (in Japanese)

Ju-On Sequels Renamed

Scared of the Dark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimizu, Takashi 1972 births Living people Japanese horror film directors People from Maebashi