It has been announced that Kitayama Hiromitsu will be starring in the horror film "Hyouketsu" (directed by Naito Eisuke, scheduled for release in summer 2026). This will be Kitayama's first film appearance in seven years, and his first leading role in a horror film. "Hyouketsu" is set in a world cut off by snow, and is billed as a "corrosive horror" in which a family's peaceful daily life is suddenly invaded by a "white monster." Distributed by Shogakukan.
Kitayama made his solo debut in 2023 and is currently active as an artist, while also starring in the TV drama "AKIBA LOST" (2026) and the stage play "Drunken Angel" (2025). In this film, Kitayama plays Minoru, a designer in Tokyo who moves to his family's snowy home with his wife and children. After his father's mysterious death, his daily life is invaded by a "white monster" and he loses his sanity.
Regarding his first leading role in a horror film, Kitayama commented, "I'm very happy to be able to jump into the horror genre, a genre I used to watch engrossed in with my eyes covered, for the first time. I hope you'll experience this frigid entertainment this summer."
Director Naito has worked on films such as "Misumisou" (2018) and the sharply tackling social issues "Forgiven Children" (2020), and this year's much-talked-about "Brown Bear!!" also garnered a lot of attention. The filming location was hit by a record-breaking snowfall, and Naito commented, "That's why we were able to capture some rare, special images. Please look forward to seeing Hiromitsu Kitayama's breakdown in a white world trapped under the snow." The screenplay will be written by Eriko Katagiri, who won the 3rd Japan Horror Film Award in 2024 for "Watching Over a Summer Afternoon."
The "white presence" has been spoken of in snowy regions since ancient times. The stronger the blizzard, the more it robs people of their sight and leads them astray. The horror of a hopeless whiteout, and the strange beauty that lurks within. The moment you "feel" it, it becomes a fear from which there is no escape, and the "fear of white" eats away at your senses so fast that it freezes your breath...
Comments from Kitayama and Director Naito are as follows:
◇Starring: Hiromitsu Kitayama
I'm very happy to be able to dive into the horror genre for the first time, a genre I used to watch engrossed in with my eyes covered as a student. I was also very happy that together with the staff we were able to create a film that conveyed such a chilling temperature through the images when I first saw it at a preview screening. I hope you will experience this frigid entertainment this summer.
◇Comment from Director Eisuke Naito
Aizu, where the filming took place, was hit by a record-breaking snowfall. This is why we were able to capture some very special images. Please look forward to seeing Kitayama Hiromitsu breaking down in a white world shut away by snow.
