Through the Lens Entertainment, the East-West film studio that made a splash at Cannes last year, has struck a film development and production deal with iconic horror magazine Fangoria. For Fangoria, the agreement marks a return to filmmaking after a prolonged period of corporate turbulence.
The pair said that their agreement “is poised to redefine the horror and manga experience, offering fans an immersive journey into the macabre through motion pictures.” They also said it promises “innovation, culturally appropriate new manga films and accurate manga adaptations.”
The first three manga titles that will be co-developed as films are all from the legendary Japanese horror mangaka or manga author and artist Ito Junji: “Bloodsucking Darkness” and “The Mystery of the Haunted House Part 1” and “Part 2.”
Armen Aghaeian, Tara Ansley and Abhi Goel will produce the pictures for Fangoria Studios, alongside Ito, with Kutami Yasu and Yamaguchi Tsubasa of Amuse Group USA and Through the Lens Entertainment’s Aditya Chand and Jay Van Hoy. The deal between Fangoria and Through the Lens Entertainment was brokered by indie producer Carlos Aguirre who will serve as an executive producer on the films.
Fangoria was established in 1979 and rose to prominence in the pre-internet era with its behind-the-scenes photos and in-depth interviews with horror makers. It hosted its own awards shows, sponsored conventions and from 1990 expanded into film production and distribution. In the 2010s, however, publication became irregular until the title was acquired by new owners in 2018 and then again in 2020.
Current owners Ansley and Goel operate the title as a quarterly glossy edited by Phil Nobile Jr. and developed plans to become a multimedia operation. The company’s Fangoria Studios unit was launched in 2021 to develop and produce film, television and podcasts using the Fangoria, Starlog and Gorezone brands.
Armen Aghaeian, SVP of Fangoria Studios said: “It’s important to recognize the universal appeal of horror stories; there’s no better way to commence our partnership with Through the Lens Entertainment than with the legendary horror author and artist Ito’s stories. After all, everyone screams in the same language.”
“Working with a visionary manga creator like [Ito] Junji, alongside a cornerstone platform of horror culture with Fangoria, pushes the boundaries of what east-west collaboration can achieve in the modern age,” said Through the Lens Entertainment’s founder Aditya Chand. “Manga adaptation must be adapted in a culturally sensitive way, where there is a balance of Japanese nuance combined with the sensibilities of innovative horror, allowing for a new cinematic experience for enthusiasts and manga fans.”
The new deal also marks the arrival of filmmaker Van Hoy (“American Honey,” “The Lighthouse,” “The Witch”) as Through the Lens Entertainment’s chief producing officer. He is expected to set up a new collective of behind the camera talent and establish a new way of thinking and a modern eco system to film production.
In a partnership with Shogakukan Asia, the Southeast Asian subsidiary of the Japan’s Pokémon book series publisher Shogakukan, Through the Lens Entertainment recently launched Hoshi Studios as a manga development and publishing startup with outposts in Singapore and Japan.
Through the Lens, is an associate producer on “Eephus,” the comedy drama by Carson Lund that debuted in May in the Cannes Film Festival’s sidebar section Directors’ Fortnight.
The company’s other projects include “The Incident Report” with Britt Lower (“Severance”) directed by Naomi Jaye and executive produced by Charlie Kaufman; “Lefthanded Girl,” a Taiwanese feature film written directed by Shih Ching Shou (“Tangerine”) and produced by Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”), that is now in post-production; and “Skysong,” a south-Asian fairytale developed as a comic book and feature film with Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and her company Freebird Films.