‘Hot Spring Shark Attack’ Picked Up by Utopia for Distribution Ahead of CFF Premiere

You were afraid of the ocean with Jaws. Now, it’s time to be terrified of the hot springs! We’ve previously covered Hot Spring Shark Attack aka Onsen Shark here on KU, when it was just an indie Japanese film seeking crowdfunding internationally. Now, the film has set its U.S. premiere at the acclaimed Chattanooga Film Festival in Tennessee and has been picked up by Utopia for distribution, with the studio planning a summer 2025 rollout.

Per Deadline, the film is about “a small, hot spring town in Japan, where a ferocious ancient shark reawakens and terrorizes the local hot spring facilities. As the threat escalates, the townspeople band together to protect their beloved town from the menacing predator.”

The premiere at CFF will also reportedly include a beach-themed opening night party, featuring a setlist of Surf Rock from special guest musicians Big Kahuna. The film made its Japanese premiere at the Tokyo International Shark Film Festival, winning the Audience Award at the show. Director Morihito Inoue is no stranger to giant monster movies, having secured the top prize at the National Independent Kaiju Film Championship two times.

Hot Spring Shark Attack Executive Producer Masayuki Nagata previously remarked on the film, stating “The setting is Atami Onsen, one of the best tourist destinations in Japan. I would like to revitalize the local community and increase its appeal through the power of film. I have a dream to make Atami the Hollywood/Cannes of Japan. We decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign in order to deliver a movie that people would like to see rather than simply making it. We are confident that by adding the essence of local films and the director’s tokusatsu special effects to a shark movie, we will be able to create an amazing work that has never been seen before.”

Stay tuned for more coverage of Onsen Shark on Kaiju United!