Utopia has acquired North American rights to Hot Spring Shark Attack (Onsen Shâku), a new Japanese action-horror film set in a tranquil hot spring town under siege by a reawakened ancient shark. Directed by Morihito Inoue, a two-time winner of the National Independent Kaiju Film Championship, this feature marks his directorial debut and has already generated buzz by winning the Audience Award at the 2024 Tokyo International Shark Film Festival.
will make its U.S. premiere as the Opening Night selection at this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival. Organizers plan a beach-themed party, complete with surf rock music from BIG KAHUNA, themed drinks by Cathead Distillery, and a lively karaoke clambake. The film’s North American rollout is slated for summer 2025 under Utopia, known for releases like Shiva Baby, Holy Spider, and Red Rooms.
Negotiated by Candace Tan (on behalf of Utopia) and Akiko Uchida (of King Record), the deal indicates an exciting expansion for Utopia into bolder, genre-driven content. Early reactions on Letterboxd have fueled awards-season anticipation, hinting that Hot Spring Shark Attack may be a surprising contender in the coming months.
