Netflix has officially unveiled Parasyte: Tamiya, a new live-action series from filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho that expands the acclaimed Parasyte universe, reports Variety.
The series will star Japanese actress Shioli Kutsuna in the lead role and is set to premiere in 2027.
The project marks another collaboration between Netflix and Yeon, who previously created Parasyte: The Grey.
He developed the new series and co-wrote the script with Ryu Yong-jae, while Wowpoint, the studio behind Parasyte: The Grey and Human Vapor, is producing.
Japanese filmmakers Kakimoto Kensaku and Nakagawa Kazuhiro will direct.
Unlike previous adaptations, Parasyte: Tamiya shifts the focus to one of the manga’s most complex characters, Ryoko Tamiya.
In Hitoshi Iwaaki’s original manga, Tamiya is a parasite that takes over the body of a high school teacher before gradually questioning the relationship between humans and parasites.
The new series explores the story from Tamiya’s perspective, following the original human, the parasite inhabiting her body and the conflict between the two identities.
Kutsuna will portray all three versions of the character: the original human, the parasite after taking control and the evolving being struggling to understand humanity.
Yeon said Tamiya’s internal conflict lies at the heart of the franchise.
“Her struggles over the nature of her own existence are what elevate the original Parasyte from a simple hero-based manga aimed at kids to something deeper. I think the anguish she experiences is the essence of Parasyte.”
Explaining his casting choice, the director praised Kutsuna’s performance.
“I think she did a wonderful job of portraying the process of a non-human creature coming to understand both humanity and its own existence.”
Kutsuna described the role as the most demanding of her career.
“Ryoko Tamiya is the most challenging role I have ever played in my acting career.”
Netflix Japan’s live-action creative manager Sato Yoshihiro said the series’ themes remain highly relevant today.
“‘What makes a human?’ ‘Can we coexist with beings that are different from us?’ These questions posed by Parasyte more than 30 years ago feel much more pressing for our modern society.”
Parasyte: The Grey became a global success for Netflix after its 2024 release, spending four weeks in the streamer’s Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart and reaching No. 1 in 34 countries.
Parasyte: Tamiya will continue expanding the franchise, which already includes the original manga, anime, Japanese live-action films and the Korean drama adaptation.
