Tied to at least five announced or running adaptations and collaborations, with the live-action omnibus series Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights streaming internationally on HBO Max this fall after its July 3, 2026 Japanese premiere, and a live-action film of The Long Hair in the Attic in development for 2027 filming.
Junji Ito's work is spread across live-action television, film, games, and merchandise. The clearest line is Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights, the TV Tokyo live-action omnibus adapting 13 manga stories. Its cast, including Nijiro Murakami and Kanata Hosoda, was announced in May 2026, and the show premiered July 3 on the Drama 24 block. Days before that premiere, the staff rearranged the episode order: "Lovesickness" (Part 1) now opens the series, and "The Mansion of Phantom Pain" was postponed with no new airdate. HBO Max will stream the series internationally this fall. IVE performs the opening theme; 10CM performs the ending theme.
Separately, Toei, Thai studio M Studio, and South Korean Showbox are co-producing a live-action film of Ito's 1988 one-shot The Long Hair in the Attic, with Thai director Sitisiri Mongkolsiri attached. Development is set to finish this year and filming is planned for 2027. Two games credit his influence: Dust till Dawn, a PC cleaning simulator from Mac n Cheese Games with Akira Yamaoka trailer music, and Welcome to Elderfield, a farming horror RPG on Steam.
Ito also appears in merchandise and event work. He drew new Tomie art for Universal Studios Japan's Halloween Horror Night, a first-time pairing of Tomie with the park's Street Zombies, with goods on sale September 9. Good Smile Fest 2026 showed a painted prototype of a Gyaru Tomie figure with Hello Kitty accessories, part of an ongoing Sanrio crossover. Ken Elephant's January 2027 capsule lineup includes Ito Junji Goods Vol. 2. Viz Media released a video of Ito and Rumiko Takahashi discussing their work, and the Uzumaki novelization by Masaru Sato ended in June after a seven-year run.
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The Junji Ito POP UP STORE 'Zankyo' runs from October 20 to November 24, 2026 on the fifth floor of Hands Omiya. Admission is free and no reservation is needed. The lineup includes Tomie goods such as a waist bag, multi case, glass candle, mascot, and metal bookmarker, plus apparel including Zankyo and Hanging Balloon T-shirts and a Painter Aloha Shirt.
Ken Elephant posted previews for ten new capsule toy products on its official X account, with a release planned around January 2027. The lineup includes baccan ORBY Figure Collection, Frozen Mammoth FROZEN MAMMOTH, Jurassic Eggplant Plush Mirror Figure Collection, DOLLSSAN KEBIN Collection Vol. 2 and Ito Junji Goods Vol. 2. Four re-released items are slated for around February 2027.
Mac n Cheese Games announced on September 21 that Dust till Dawn, a supernatural cleaning simulator, will release on PC via Steam in 2027, with Japanese display planned. Players are a novice maid cleaning a rural Japanese house and village where dust returns and objects move after cleaning. Cleaning longer earns more money but raises the chance of supernatural encounters. Akira Yamaoka provides trailer music.
Indie developer Chris Cote released Welcome to Elderfield on Steam at 2,250 yen, with a 10 percent discount to 2,025 yen through September 25, 2026. The cozy horror RPG is set in a town where the abnormal is everyday, with hand-drawn art reminiscent of Junji Ito's work and Lo-Fi music by composer Dated. Players farm crops including teeth and eyeballs, mine, cook, fish, investigate mysteries, romance residents, and fight Lovecraftian horrors in turn-based battles.
Universal Studios Japan's Halloween Horror Night returns for its 15th year on September 11, 2026, with a first-time collaboration between Junji Ito's Tomie and the event's Street Zombies. Ito drew new art of Tomie in a high school zombie uniform holding a Hamikuma plush. Merch goes on sale September 9 at Studio Style.
Universal Studios Japan announced new merchandise and food for its Halloween Horror Night seasonal event. The lineup includes a first-time collaboration between Junji Ito's Tomie and the event's Street Zombies, with original artwork by Ito. The Tomie goods go on sale September 9 at Studio Style, and the event runs from September 11 to November 8.
Hot Toys is launching a line of Fortnite merchandise at a free event in Akihabara, Tokyo, running from August 15 to September 13, 2026. The FORTNITE HOT TOYS GLOBAL LAUNCH EVENT at Bellesalle Akihabara will display the new John Jones the First 1/6 scale figure, limited to 3,000 units worldwide, and sell other items ahead of general release. The figure, priced at 55,000 yen, stands about 32 cm tall with over 25 points of articulation, an eye movement gimmick, and silicone arms for seamless joints. It includes weapons like a rocket launcher and tactical shotgun, plus accessories such as an Orange Flopper and a skin redemption code for the game. The event also features eight types of Cosbi deformed figures at 2,800 yen each, a 1/1 scale Victory Crown at 28,000 yen, three Mega Mi Style 1/9 scale statues at 9,800 yen each, and eight Petit Replica accessory packs at 3,800 yen each. All products except the John Jones figure will be sold at the venue before general sales.
Viz Media released an English-subtitled video featuring Rumiko Takahashi and Junji Ito discussing each other's work, possible collaborations, and industry changes. Ito suggested leaning toward horror, and Takahashi agreed, praising his style. Ito revealed the meeting was filmed in San Francisco in January.
HBO Max will stream the live-action omnibus series Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights internationally this fall. The series, based on 13 manga stories by Junji Ito, premiered in Japan on July 3. Anime Expo screened the first two episodes on Friday. The cast includes Nijirō Murakami, Kanata Hosoda, and others. IVE performs the opening theme.
The staff for the live-action omnibus series Strange: Junji Ito's Tales for Sleepless Nights announced on Sunday that they are rearranging the episode order. The episode "Lovesickness" (Part 1) will now premiere as the first episode, while the previously planned first episode, "The Mansion of Phantom Pain," has been postponed with no new airdate announced. The series premieres on TV Tokyo on July 3.
The July issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic Original Zōkan magazine published the final chapter of Masaru Satō's novelization of Junji Ito's Uzumaki horror manga on June 12. The compiled novel will ship later. Satō launched the novelization in February 2019.
TV Tokyo unveiled the teaser, key visual, and details for its live-action Junji Ito omnibus series, which adapts 13 of his manga stories. The series premieres July 3 on TV Tokyo, with South Korean act 10CM performing the ending theme. Anime Expo 2026 will screen the first two episodes, including a world premiere of the second episode.
A painted prototype of a new Junji Ito figure featuring Gyaru Tomie with Hello Kitty accessories appeared at Good Smile Fest 2026. The figure is part of the ongoing Sanrio characters x Junji Ito crossover. Tomie wears Hello Kitty-themed items including a red bow, socks, phone charm, and bag stickers. The figure uses a greyscale paint approach similar to the Uzumaki Kirie Nendoroid. No release date has been announced, but pre-orders are expected soon.
TV Tokyo revealed the cast for Strange -Junji Ito's Strange Stories for Sleepless Nights-, a live-action omnibus series adapting 13 Junji Ito manga stories. The series premieres July 3 on TV Tokyo's Drama 24 block. The cast includes Nijirō Murakami, Kanata Hosoda, Yōko Maki, and others. IVE performs the opening theme.
Toei, Thai studio M Studio, and South Korean Showbox are co-producing a live-action film of Junji Ito's 1988 one-shot manga The Long Hair in the Attic. Thai director Sitisiri Mongkolsiri will direct. Development is set to finish this year, with filming planned for 2027.