# Takashi Shimizu

Takashi Shimizu (清水 崇 Shimizu Takashi, born 27 July 1972) is a Japanese filmmaker. He is best known for being the creator of the Ju-On franchise, and directing four of its films, internationally, in both Japan and the U.S. According to film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, Shimizu is "one of a new breed of Japanese horror directors" who prefers to "suggest menace and violence rather than directly depict it".

## Early life

Shimizu was born on 27 July 1972, in Maebashi, Tokyo. He attended Wakamiya Elementary School and Maebashi City Fourth Junior High School before graduating from Gunma Prefectural Chuo High School. He initially enrolled in Kindai University but dropped out. He then enrolled in Nihon University where he met future collaborator and film producer Takashige Ichise. Together they went on to develop Ju-On.

## Career

After graduating, he was given the opportunity to direct a short film for Kansai TV's horror omnibus "Gakkou no Kaidan G" when writer and director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who was teaching a filmmaking class that Shimizu, then working as an assistant director, attended, was impressed by a three-minute short film Shimizu had written and directed. The short films would end up being Katasumi and 4444444444, later serving as forerunners to the franchise.
Shortly afterwards, Shimizu made his directorial debut with the supernatural horror, Ju-On: The Curse (2000), starring Takashi Matsuyama, Takako Fuji, Yūrei Yanagi and Chiaki Kuriyama in lead roles, followed by its sequel, Ju-On: The Curse 2. Despite the films releasing in direct-to-video formats, they were met with critical acclaim. The critical success of the films hence led to theatrical remakes, Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), and Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (2003). The two films were met with critical and commercial success, eventually popularizing J-Horror internationally which led to Western remakes, in the form of The Grudge (2004) and The Grudge 2 (2006), as Shimizu returned to direct and write them.
However, the English remakes were met with a widespread mixed reception, albeit their commercial success. The studio quickly greenlit a sequel, as Shimizu was offered to direct, but chose to produce instead, prompting a replacement in form of Toby Wilkins. The film was met with overwhelmingly negative reception, despite commercial success in both its direct-to-video and theatrical releases. Following the negative reception, Shimizu returned to Japanese cinema, and has continued focusing his work there.

## 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) (2000) (Video)
* Ju-on: The Curse 2 (呪怨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 (2004)
* Marebito (2004)
* Dark Tales of Japan, episode Blonde Kwaidan, (2004) (TV)
* The Great Horror Family, TV Series (2004–2005)
* Reincarnation, (輪廻 Rinne) (2005)
* The Grudge 2 (2006)
* Ghost vs. Alien 03 (2007)
* Ten Nights of Dream (2006)
* The Shock Labyrinth 3D (戦慄迷宮3D) (2009)
* Tormented (2011)
* Scared of the Dark (2013)
* Flight 7500 (2014)
* Kiki's Delivery Service (2014), live-action adaptation of the novel of the same name
* NightCry (2015), live-action trailer for the video game NightCry, formerly known as Project Scissors
* Resident Evil: Vendetta (Biohazard: Vendetta) (2017, executive producer)
* Innocent Curse (こどもつかい) (2017)
* Howling Village (犬鳴村) (2019)
* Suicide Forest Village (樹海村) (2021)
* Homunculus (2021)
* Ox-Head Village (牛首村) (2022)
* Immersion (忌怪島) (2023)
* Sana (ミンナのウタ) (2023)
* Sana: Let Me Hear (2024)

## Accolades

* 2022 — Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award at 21st New York Asian Film Festival.