KimStim has secured the rights to the remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Serpent's Path, set for release in the summer.

      It is quite curious that every recent Kiyoshi Kurosawa project—some of which run for 45 minutes and originated as NFTs—has managed to secure a theatrical release, yet Serpent’s Path, a remake of his deserving 1998 film, has not. Even the restoration of that bleak triumph received a proper screening while the new film remained unavailable. We needn't wonder or complain any longer, as we are excited to announce that KimStim will be releasing Serpent’s Path this summer at the IFC Center, likely followed by a broader North American rollout.

      The film stars Damien Bonnard (Poor Things) and Ko Shibasaki (The Boy and the Heron), with supporting performances from Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), Mathieu Amalric, and Claire Denis regular Grégoire Colin. Fans of Kurosawa’s original will recognize the core premise but will also be taken aback by the new directions it takes—especially in light of the director’s own experience in a similar 'fish-out-of-water' situation. With the original film paired with Eyes of the Spider—a project featuring overlapping cast, crew, and themes—it sometimes feels as though Serpent’s Path is less a remake and more a continuation of a series. (Kurosawa has told me he sees it as more aligned with his creative vision.) However, I will let you watch the film and form your own opinion.

      Below are the official synopsis and poster:

      “Kiyoshi Kurosawa revisits and reinterprets his 1998 thriller in this haunting French-language adaptation of Serpent’s Path, transforming a revenge narrative into a chilling exploration of grief, guilt, and moral decline. Shifting the setting from Tokyo to the desolate outskirts of Paris, the film traces the journey of a grieving father (Damien Bonnard) who undertakes a complex quest for revenge against a mysterious child-trafficking ring known as ‘The Circle,’ supported by the enigmatic and unnervingly calm Sayoko, portrayed with captivating ambiguity by Ko Shibasaki. Building on the original's psychological landscape while preserving its eerie potency, Kurosawa delivers a masterclass in mood and existential anxiety, reaffirming why he is regarded as one of cinema’s masters of discomfort.”