‘Exit 8’ Director Says They’re Discussing a Remake of His Liminal Horror Hit [Exclusive]
EXCLUSIVE: As Neon prepares to unleash Exit 8, the critically-acclaimed video game adaptation in theaters on April 10th, Dread Central caught up with Genki Kawamura, the visionary director behind the liminal horror film, who hints that the cinematic world of Exit 8 may expand with an English-language remake, or potentially even multiple film interpretations from different countries. More on that below.
While the film has yet to be released in North America, it’s already a certified hit in Japan. Released on 29 August 2025, Exit 8 had the highest three-day opening of any live-action film in Japan that year, and has already surpassed ¥5.08 billion at the Japanese box office. So, that begged the question: Is a sequel or a new film being planned?
“There’s already been some conversation with studios in Asia, Europe, North America about some kind of potential remake,” Kawamura tells us exclusively. As a director, though, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to retread those familiar hallways on his own:
“I think I myself am still kind of stuck in the Japanese Exit 8 corridors and have yet to find my own escape,” Kawamura added with a bit of a wink. “Perhaps this will be a journey of me giving my blessing as well as overseeing how Exit 8 evolves over the course of time and with each sort of country, background, content, creator, film, etc.”
Exit 8 follows a man (Kazunari Ninomiya) trapped in an endless, sterile subway passageway as he sets out to find Exit 8. The rules of his quest are simple: do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape this infinite corridor?
A massive critical success, Kawamura’s adaptation had its world premiere in the midnight section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it received an 8-minute standing ovation. I also raved about it in my review out of Cannes, where I called Exit 8, “the best video game adaptation ever made.” Words I stand by.
Head for Exit 8 when the film hits North American theaters on April 10th, 2026, via Neon. Get your tickets here.
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