NYCC 2026: New Live-Action Junji Ito Anthology Haunts HBO Max

This past Friday at New York Comic Con, Junji Ito pulled back the veil on a new horror anthology show adapting his work. Well, the manga creator himself appeared via recorded video. But director Yuta Shimotsu discussed Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights in a panel moderated by award-winning manga artist Gigi Murakami. Before an audience Q&A, they showed off the fourth episode, “Face Thief,” for attendees at the Javits Center.

In the recorded video message, Junji Ito praised the show, sharing, “I enjoyed it very much.” The Japanese horror manga artist has worked reliably in manga since 1987, when he submitted a short story which became Tomie, one of his most beloved series. His other popular works include Uzumaki and Gyo. 

After the screening, Murakami interviewed Shimotsu on his approach to directing the first four episodes of Strange. On directing “Face Thief” in particular, Shimotsu noted through an interpreter that “it’s a very well known Junji Ito [work], so it was intimidating in the best way.”

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Published in 1987, Face Thief, also known as Kao Dorobou or The Face Burgler, tells the story of a transfer student who finds herself in the crosshairs of an odd classmate with a bizarre ability. As you may guess, this student has the power to change her face to match those of the people she spends the most time around.

It may not be the most terrifying Junji Ito story, but it still conveys a sense of unease. And Shimotsu added his own flair to the adaptation as well.

“I put my own original ending [to the episode],” Shimotsu shared. “Mr. Ito was very welcoming to the change so I was happy to hear that.”

“He’s a very laid back, relaxed, down to earth guy,” Shimotsu added. If you’ve read Junji Ito’s tense and unnerving manga, this may come as a surprise.

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But Shimotsu it no stranger to horror either. The director previously helmed the horror films Best Wishes to All and New Group. Coincidentally, Murakami was one of the jurors on the panel that awarded Shimotsu the Best Director Award at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival in 2025.

“It’s a very weird movie,” said Shimotsu of New Group. The director explained it as a response to the Japanese culture of “harmony” and “uniformity.” For “Face Thief,” he aimed to explore similar themes. “Which one is the real monster?” he asked, wondering if audiences will see the villain as the face thief herself or the students who gang up on her.

Shimotsu directed the first four episodes of Strange. These included “Lovesickness,” “The Bully,” “The Rib Woman,” and, of course, “Face Thief.” The first two episodes premiered at Anime Expo. New York Comic Con marked the U.S. debut of “Face Thief.”

Strange: Junji Ito’s Tales for Sleepless Nights arrives on HBO Max. The first two episodes, “Lovesickness” and “The Bully,” are available now.

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