Netflix Announces New Parasyte-Inspired Live-Action Series

Netflix is creating a live-action series based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga, Parasyte, titled Parasyte -The Gray-.

This work isn’t a direct adaptation of Parasyte, rather it is a new story based on the world of Parasyte featuring new characters. The story is set in Korea, about a young man on the hunt for a parasite to find his missing sister, a member of special forces called “The Grey” that fights against the parasites after her husband was killed by one, and in the middle of it all, a person retaining sentience despite being transformed.

The show casts Gu Gyo-hwan, Jeon So-Nee, and Lee Jung Hyun, and is being directed by Yeon Sang-ho who is also doing the screenplay alongside Ryu Yong-jae

The series is to be exclusively distributed on Netflix and currently has no release date.

▍About Parasyte

Parasyte / Kiseiju is a sci-fi horror manga written by Hitoshi Iwaaki. The earth is invaded by an unknown alien species which invades a human’s body, taking over the mind of its host and transforming them into monstrosities. These parasitic alien creatures do not have the same morality as humans and believe themselves to be superior, while also possessing incredible strength, and the ability to transform their host’s body at will into monstrous forms.

Shinichi Izumi is a high-school student who had a parasite invade his body in his sleep, but manages to wake up during the process, causing it to only inhabit his right arm. The two retain their own sentience and have to work together to fight off other Parasites, once others realize that Shinichi is still human and in control.

Parasyte has won numerous awards, including the Kodansha Manga Award in 1993, and has sold over 24 million copies as of December 2020. The series has been adapted into an anime by Madhouse, and also had two live-action films in 2014 and 2015.