Hideo Nakata, the director who launched a raft of sequels and remakes with The Ring, has decided to tackle a story about happy tree elves who live in an enchanted for… Kidding! He’s adapting a ghost story. Nakata is attached to bring El Torres and Gabriel Hernandez’ The Suicide Forest to the screen.
Producers Roy Lee and Taka Ichise, who have been involved with several films either spawned from Nakata’s work or directed by him, have bought up the rights to the IDW graphic novel.
The story follows an American ex-pat living in Tokyo who runs into serious trouble in Aokigahara, the huge forest outside the city, known as one of the most famous suicide spots in the world. Legend tells that the spirits of those who have offed themselves roam the trees, and our hero needs help from a forest ranger when a phantom starts haunting him.
This one will be a while in development yet – the producers don’t have a writer locked in to start the script. But maybe stay out of the woods just in case.