Deadline has reported that streaming subscription platform Netflix will be returning to its hit 2024 adaptation of the Parasyte series with Parasyte: Tamiya. Projected to hit streaming in 2027, the series will be set in the same format and universe as Parasyte: The Grey, expanding further on the established story.
Parasyte: The Grey, which Deadline reports has previously reached number one in 34 countries and spent four weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English list in 2024, is South Korean live-action spinoff of the originally Japanese IP of Parasyte by Japanese artist Hitoshi Iwaaki (Historié, Tanabata no Kuni). This second installment takes inspiration from the original manga as well, with a focus on the story of Ryoko Tamiya.
Parasyte: Tamiya will reportedly follow Ryoko’s growth from the beginning – as Deadline puts it, “the original human, the parasite who inhabits her and the evolving creature caught between two worlds.” Contrarily, Ryoko Tamiya is actually the name of the parasite who enters the body of a high school teacher. The original manga details her development, from something brutal and ruthless into someone inquisitive; and after bearing witness to a human-parasite symbiotic body sharing, she begins to question the nature of her species’ survival through purely conflict.
Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool 2, Invasion) stars in the series as the title character, who Deadline notes said that the role was the most challenging that she had played in her career. Several members of the team behind Parasyte: The Grey are also returning to this project, including the series’ creator Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula), who co-wrote and developed the series in partnership with Ryu Yong-jae (Human Vapor, Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area). Kazuhiro Nakagawa (Shin Godzilla, 13 Assassins) and Kensaku Kakimoto (Have a Nice Day, Ugly) are also joining the project, alongside Grey’s South Korean production company WOWPOINT.
While the IP of Parasyte has several adaptations to its name, such as a film series and an anime, Deadline reports that creator Yeon believes that Tamiya will add to that legacy. In speaking on the role of Ryoko Tamiya in the series and translating that to the screen, Yeon said:
“Ryoko Tamiya is a truly captivating villain in the original manga. Her struggles over the nature of her own existence are what elevate the original ‘Parasyte’ from a simple hero-based manga aimed at kids to something deeper. She’s a fascinating character, which drove me to want to tell the story of Parasyte through her perspective. I wanted to convey her perpetual struggle over the need for parasites to coexist with humans and the issue of their survival, and how she suffers setbacks and learns over time. I think the anguish she experiences is the essence of Parasyte.”
Continued from Deadline, on the progression of Tamiya, Yeon added:
“This series, which is currently being edited, brings new things to the table compared to past entries in terms of story, cinematography, action, production, you name it. It firmly reflects the vision of both directors and is made with great respect for the original manga.”