Image: Vorschaumaterial aus dem Film 'Kaiki! Shiniku no Otoko'
AMBot | 06/17/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The 1986 horror manga 'Kaiki! Shiniku no Otoko' (English title 'Living Corpse') by renowned Japanese horror artist Hideshi Hino will be released as a feature film entirely produced with artificial intelligence. As announced by the production company Hino Productions on June 17, 2026, the film will open nationwide on July 24, 2026, including at Cinema Rosa in Tokyo. A trailer has already been released, showcasing the grotesque, AI-created form of the 'living corpse.'
The approximately 70-minute film is, according to the production team, Japan's first full-length feature film to consistently rely on generative AI—from the script to the voice acting to the visual design. The script was written by ChatGPT based on the original source material. For the characters' voices, AI-generated voices of real actors were used. Notable performers whose voices were digitally recreated include Hiroshi Tamura (who played the lead role in Hino's 1985 directorial work 'Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood'), Shigeru Saiki, Hinako Saeki, Shiro Sano, Go Riju, and horror manga author Junji Ito. Additionally, AI models of actresses such as Kyoko Hoshino, Yasushi Hoshino, and Yurei appear; one of the models was based on Hino's wife.
The film was directed by Takeshi Sone, who previously gained recognition as the cinematographer of the internationally successful horror film 'One Cut of the Dead' (2017) and has been independently producing AI films since 2023. Hiroki Terai serves as producer. This work marks the first collaboration between Sone and Hino since the erotic suspense drama 'Barairo no Meikyu' (2014).
The film had a special screening at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival on June 5, 2026. The dialogue is entirely in English; subtitles will be shown in Japanese theaters. The project aims to market the work internationally—there was already interest from Hollywood producers, including the team behind 'Terminator 2,' during the manga's translation.
The underlying manga story revolves around a man who wanders the world as a 'living corpse'—with a decaying body and maggots in his eye. Although his heart no longer beats, he is conscious and suffers from rejection by people and society. The plot carries philosophical undertones, questioning the treatment of outsiders. Hino himself wrote the manga during a period of severe exhaustion and hospitalizations, processing the fear of having to leave his young children behind.
Hideshi Hino (born 1946) is a legend of Japanese horror manga, known for works such as 'Zoroku no Kibyo' and 'Jigoku no Komoriuta.' In November 2025, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he underwent surgery in early 2026. In June 2026, he was hospitalized again. The film team expressed hope that the film would give the weakened artist new courage.
Technically, a variety of AI tools were used: for video generation, Kling, Higgsfield, Darkflame, Hailuo, Runway, Grok, Seedance, and TopazAstra were employed. Image generation was done via Nanobanana, Midjourney, Firefly, and others. For sound and effects, Minimax Audio, Elevenlabs, and FishAudio were used, and the film score was composed with Suno. The production is considered groundbreaking for the use of generative AI in Japanese filmmaking.
The approximately 70-minute film is, according to the production team, Japan's first full-length feature film to consistently rely on generative AI—from the script to the voice acting to the visual design. The script was written by ChatGPT based on the original source material. For the characters' voices, AI-generated voices of real actors were used. Notable performers whose voices were digitally recreated include Hiroshi Tamura (who played the lead role in Hino's 1985 directorial work 'Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood'), Shigeru Saiki, Hinako Saeki, Shiro Sano, Go Riju, and horror manga author Junji Ito. Additionally, AI models of actresses such as Kyoko Hoshino, Yasushi Hoshino, and Yurei appear; one of the models was based on Hino's wife.
The film was directed by Takeshi Sone, who previously gained recognition as the cinematographer of the internationally successful horror film 'One Cut of the Dead' (2017) and has been independently producing AI films since 2023. Hiroki Terai serves as producer. This work marks the first collaboration between Sone and Hino since the erotic suspense drama 'Barairo no Meikyu' (2014).
The film had a special screening at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival on June 5, 2026. The dialogue is entirely in English; subtitles will be shown in Japanese theaters. The project aims to market the work internationally—there was already interest from Hollywood producers, including the team behind 'Terminator 2,' during the manga's translation.
The underlying manga story revolves around a man who wanders the world as a 'living corpse'—with a decaying body and maggots in his eye. Although his heart no longer beats, he is conscious and suffers from rejection by people and society. The plot carries philosophical undertones, questioning the treatment of outsiders. Hino himself wrote the manga during a period of severe exhaustion and hospitalizations, processing the fear of having to leave his young children behind.
Hideshi Hino (born 1946) is a legend of Japanese horror manga, known for works such as 'Zoroku no Kibyo' and 'Jigoku no Komoriuta.' In November 2025, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he underwent surgery in early 2026. In June 2026, he was hospitalized again. The film team expressed hope that the film would give the weakened artist new courage.
Technically, a variety of AI tools were used: for video generation, Kling, Higgsfield, Darkflame, Hailuo, Runway, Grok, Seedance, and TopazAstra were employed. Image generation was done via Nanobanana, Midjourney, Firefly, and others. For sound and effects, Minimax Audio, Elevenlabs, and FishAudio were used, and the film score was composed with Suno. The production is considered groundbreaking for the use of generative AI in Japanese filmmaking.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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