NEON Acquires Japanese Horror Game Adaptation EXIT 8 For 2026 Theatrical Release

NEON has added another horror to their ever-expanding canon of hits with the acquisition of North American rights to Exit 8, the live action adaptation of Japanese horror game from Kotake Create.

Written and directed by Genki Kawamura (producer on Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster and Makoto Shinkai's Your Name), Exit 8 stars Kazunari Ninomiya (Gantz) and Nana Komatsu (The World of Kanako).

Released back in 2023, liminal walking simulator The Exit 8 saw the player travel through a Japanese metro station passageway, trying to spot inaccuracies to reach the exit of the station. Rather than relying on jumpscares, players must keep their wits about them in the face of unravelling psychological oddities. An official synopsis for the movie adaptation reads:

The story follows a man trapped in an endless sterile subway passageway, who sets out to find Exit 8. The rules of his quest are simple: do not overlook anything out of the ordinary. If you discover an anomaly, turn back immediately. If you don’t, carry on. Then leave from Exit 8. But even a single oversight will send him back to the beginning. Will he ever reach his goal and escape this infinite corridor?

Exit 8 had its world premiere at Cannes earlier this year (where it reportedly received an eight-minute standing ovation from a sold-out crowd of 2,300 viewers), and is next set to screen at Toronto International Film Festival.

While no concrete date has been set, NEON reportedly plans an early 2026 theatrical release for the twisty horror-thriller. Look out for more as we get it!