Takashi Shimizu

Takashi Shimizu
Biographical information
Born	清水崇 July 27, 1972 Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
Career
Occupation	Film director Screenwriter Producer

Takashi Shimizu (清水崇 Shimizu Takashi, born 27 July 1972 in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter, best known for the Ju-on horror franchise.

Career

Before the creation of Ju-on, Shimizu initially worked on short horror films. In 1997, at the suggestion of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Shimizu was asked to direct a couple fo short segments for Haunted School G (Gakkô no Kaidan G, 1998), part of Kansai TV's hit series. Kurosawa, one of Shimizu's film school lecturers, had been involved with the series since 1994 and put his student's name forward as a pontential contributor. Shimizu met actress Takako Fuji at a theater and, according to him, he knew she was "perfect for" his ghost "as soon as she walked out on stage". Shimizu then produced two three-minute short segments, Katasumi and 4444444444, in which the characters of Kayako and Toshio Saeki were introduced respectively. Ringu producer Takashige Ichise and a distribution deal with Toei video enabled Shimizu to expand the two Haunted School G short films to be expanded in Shimizu's first full length films, Ju-on: The Curse and The Curse. Ringu's scriptwriter Hiroshi Takahashi served as Shimizu's "creative consultant". Both films were shot at the same time, in 2000, but released separately.

After his two films became a hit, Shimizu produced a theatrical sequel, Ju-on: The Grudge, followed by Ju-on: The Grudge 2. American film producer Sam Raimi invited Shimizu for an american remake of the Ju-on films, after Ringu was remade in the U.S. as The Ring and became a hit. The Grudge, produced by Raimi with Roy Lee and Rob Tarpet, written by Stephen Susco and directed by Shimizu himself, was released in 2004. Whilst working on the Grudge film series, Shimizu directed J-Horror films Marebito (2004) (shot in just eight days) and Reincarnation (2005). Shimizu worked as a supervising producer for Ju-on: White Ghost / Black Ghost, two films released to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ju-on series. Shimizu's second directed Hollywoodian film is 7500, shot in 2010 and starring Ryan Kwanten and Scout-Taylor Compton, and is set to be released in 2014. Shock Labyrinth (Senritsu meikyû 3D), released in 2009, is Shimizu's first 3D film. His second one, Tormented (Rabitto horâ 3D) was released in 2011.

Filmography

• Blue Tiger (Movie, 1994, Script)
• Last Bronx ~Tokyo Bangaichi (ラストブロンクス -東京番外地-) (1997) (Video)
• Katasumi and 4444444444, stories from Gakkou no kaidan G (学校の怪談G) (lit, "School Ghost Story G") (1998) (TV)
• Ju-on: The Curse (呪怨, Ju-on) (2000) (Video)
• Ju-on: The Curse 2 (呪怨2, Ju-on 2) (2000) (Video)
• 首吊り気球　伊藤潤二恐怖Ｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ (Video)
• 心霊ビデオＶ　本当にあった怖い話　恐怖心霊写真館 (Shin rei bideo V: Honto ni atta kowai hanashi - kyoufushin rei shashin-kan) (2000) (Video)
• 心霊ビデオＶＩ　本当にあった怖い話　恐怖タレント体験談 (Shin rei bideo VI: Honto ni atta kowai hanashi - kyoufu tarento taikendan) (2000) (Video)
• Tomie: Re-birth (富江 rebirth) (2001)
• Ju-on: The Grudge (呪怨) (2002)
• Ju-on: The Grudge 2 (呪怨2) (2003)
• The Grudge (呪怨) (2004)
• Marebito (2004)
• Dark Tales of Japan, episode Blonde Kwaidan, (2004) (TV)
• The Great Horror Family, TV Series (2004–2005)
• Reincarnation, (informal literal English title, Reincarnation) (2005)
• The Grudge 2 (呪怨2) (2006)
• The Shock Labyrinth 3D (戦慄迷宮3D) (2009)
• Tormented (2011)
• Scared of the Dark (2013)
• Kiki's Delivery Service (2014), live-action adaptation of the novel of the same name
• 7500 (2014)

Gallery

Shimizu's early draft of Kayako's ghost.

External links

• Takashi Shimizu at the Internet Movie Database
• 7500 Official site