Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Never After Dark.”
The Japanese horror movie, written and directed by Dave Boyle and from XYZ Films, premiered at SXSW and went on to win the Midnighter Audience Award.
“Never After Dark” stars SAG Award and Critics’ Choice Award Winner Moeka Hoshi (“Shogun”), Kento Kaku (“House of Ninjas”), Kurumi Inagaki (“House of Ninjas”), Mutsuo Yoshioka (“Chime”), Bokuzo Masana (“Toyko Vice”) and Tae Kimura (“All Around Us”). The film also recently won the grand jury prize for feature film at the Overlook Film Festival, and won the Golden Raven at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival. Magnolia is planning a fall theatrical release.
The film follows Airi (Hoshi), a wandering medium who spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.
“Dave Boyle and crew have delivered an incredibly beautiful and terrifying experience,” said Magnolia Pictures co-CEOs Eamonn Bowles and Dori Begley. “We can’t wait to share this truly exceptional film with audiences.”
“We are so thrilled that Magnolia Pictures will bring ‘Never After Dark’ to audiences across North America,” said Boyle and Kaku in a joint statement. “Their passion for the film, their commitment to a theatrical release, and their long history as exceptional stewards of great cinema make this partnership a dream come true for our team. We made this film for the big screen, and we’re delighted that audiences in North America will have the chance to experience it that way.”
The film is produced by Signal 181, the Tokyo-based production company founded by actor-producer Kaku and Boyle following the global success of their Netflix series “House of Ninjas,” which debuted in 2024 and immediately climbed to No. 1 on Netflix’s Global Top 10. The company develops distinctive film and television projects that bridge Japan and the United States — a mission reflected in its name, which combines the countries’ calling codes (+1 and +81). CEO Kosuke Tsutsumi also produces alongside Kaku and Boyle, with Aram Tertzakian of XYZ Films, Todd Brown and United Lounge Tokyo’s Toshiyuki Suzuki serving as executive producers.
The deal was negotiated by Magnolia’s SVP of acquisitions John Von Thaden, with Peter Van Steemberg and Pip Ngo of XYZ Films on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film will also be released wide in theaters across Japan on June 5, distributed by Toho Next.