Netflix Taps Director Yeon Sang-ho for New ‘Parasyte’ Series Starring Shioli Kutsuna

Netflix is diving deeper into the ‘Parasyte’ universe with a bold new live-action series that puts one of the manga’s most compelling characters front and center.

The streaming giant announced ‘Parasyte: TAMIYA’ on Tuesday, tapping acclaimed filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho to helm the project. Japanese actress Shioli Kutsuna, known for her roles in ‘Deadpool 2’ and Netflix’s ‘Sanctuary’, will lead the cast as Ryoko Tamiya, a brilliant parasite navigating questions of survival, identity, and the possibility of coexisting with humans. The series is set to debut worldwide in 2027.

The announcement marks Sang-ho’s return to the ‘Parasyte’ franchise following the international success of ‘Parasyte: The Grey’ last year. While that series introduced an original story set in South Korea, ‘Parasyte: TAMIYA’ will venture back to the original manga’s mythology, zeroing in on Ryoko Tamiya’s complex journey.

The 2024 release of ‘Parasyte: The Grey’ became a breakout hit for Netflix, spending four weeks in the platform’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV rankings and hitting number one in 34 countries. That success clearly gave executives the green light to expand further.

Sang-ho has crafted an ambitious role for Kutsuna, who will play three distinct versions of Ryoko: her original human self, the parasite after taking control of her body, and a parasite grappling with humanity and the possibility of coexistence. The director praised Kutsuna’s performance as one of the series’ greatest strengths.

Ryu Yong-jae joins Sang-ho in writing duties, while directors Kensaku Kakimoto and Kazuhiro Nakagawa will oversee production. WOWPOINT and EPISCOPE are producing for Netflix.

The original ‘Parasyte’ manga, which ran from 1988 to 1995, has sold roughly 25 million copies worldwide and remains one of science fiction’s most influential horror works. The new series aims to explore the philosophical questions that made the source material endure, examining what it means to be human through Ryoko’s eyes as she questions her species’ purpose and future.

Netflix has confirmed ‘Parasyte: TAMIYA’ is in post-production, though the company hasn’t announced a specific premiere date beyond 2027.