‘Monster Island’ aka ‘Orang Ikan’ – Shudder Sets July Premiere Date for World War II Monster Movie

Shudder recently acquired Orang Ikan (also known as Monster Island) for release in North America, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, and the premiere date has been set.

World War II-set creature feature Monster Island draws inspiration from Malay folklore as well as Creature from the Black Lagoon, and it’ll be streaming on Shudder beginning July 25.

Dean Fujioka (“Fullmetal Alchemist”) and Callum Woodhouse (“All Creatures Great and Small”) lead the cast of the film, set during World War II and centered on a fish monster.

“A Japanese ship transporting prisoners of war to occupied territories for slave labor is torpedoed by allied submarines. Stranded on a desert island, a Japanese soldier and British POW discover that they are being hunted by a ferocious mythological creature, the Orang Ikan.

“They realize that they must work together to survive the unknown, despite their differences.”

The Singapore-Indonesia-Japan-UK co-production is written and directed by Mike Wiluan, whose producing credits include Crazy Rich Asians and The Night Comes for Us.

“I’m very proud to have Shudder present the film in territories that have a rich history and appreciation for creature films,” said Wiluan. “The ‘Fish Man’ folklore is a globally recognized phenomenon that has enjoyed several re-incarnations. Orang Ikan is a pan-Asian interpretation of the genre that also questions the nature of humanity during times of war.”

“We were thrilled to work with such a talented and acclaimed team,” added producer Fumie Suzuki Lancaster. “The film has great nail-biting tension from beginning to end combined with plenty of unexpected emotional twists. We believe Orang Ikan has great potential, and we’re confident that audiences around the world will be just as excited.”