Yeon Sang-ho is returning to the “Parasyte” universe with “Parasyte: Tamiya,” a new live-action series starring Shioli Kutsuna for Netflix, set to stream in 2027.
The series marks another collaboration between Netflix and Yeon (“Hellbound,” “Parasyte: The Grey”), who developed “Parasyte: Tamiya” and co-wrote the script with Ryu Yong-jae. Wowpoint, the production company behind Yeon’s “Human Vapor” and “Parasyte: The Grey,” is producing. Kakimoto Kensaku (“Glass Heart”) and Nakagawa Kazuhiro (“Double,” “Bullet Train Explosion”) are directing.
“Parasyte: The Grey” spent four weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV list and reached No. 1 in 34 countries following its 2024 release.
In the original manga, Ryoko Tamiya is a parasite who takes over the body of a high school teacher, initially violent and indiscriminate before gradually learning from her human surroundings. Witnessing a parasite and human sharing a single body leads her to wonder whether coexistence might offer her species a better chance of survival than conflict. “Parasyte: Tamiya” tells the story from her perspective, tracking the original human, the parasite who inhabits her and the creature caught between both worlds.
Kutsuna (“Sanctuary,” “Deadpool 2,” “Gundam”) plays Ryoko Tamiya across three registers: the original human, the parasite after it takes over and the parasite as it struggles to interact with humanity.
Yeon said, “Her struggles over the nature of her own existence are what elevate the original ‘Parasyte’ from a simple hero-based manga aimed at kids to something deeper. I think the anguish she experiences is the essence of ‘Parasyte.’”
Yeon was also asked about his choice of lead. “I’m sure that was a big challenge for Kutsuna as an actor,” he said. “I think she did a wonderful job of portraying the process of a non-human creature coming to understand both humanity and its own existence.”
On the choice of directors, Yeon said, “I chose these two directors precisely because they have such different styles, and I had high hopes for a collaboration between them.”
Kutsuna said, “Ryoko Tamiya is the most challenging role I have ever played in my acting career. This series was brought to life through the dedication of the entire cast and crew, who supported one another through every challenge along the way.”
Netflix Japan’s Sato Yoshihiro, manager of live action creative, added, “‘What makes a human?’ ‘Can we coexist with beings that are different from us?’ These questions posed by ‘Parasyte’ more than 30 years ago feel much more pressing for our modern society that has placed non-sentient AI at all of our fingertips.”
The “Parasyte” manga, created by Hitoshi Iwaaki and published by Kodansha, has previously been adapted into a film series, an anime and the Korean drama “Parasyte: The Grey.”