It’s quite remarkable how The Exit 8 movie – based on a $4 dollar indie game – is on track to become one of Japan’s biggest live-action films, earning roughly $6.3 million USD in the box-office within its first three days and $133 million in two weeks. Despite the original game’s lack of a story, movie producer Yuto Sakata says the core gameplay loop provided a lot of material to work with.
In a post-premiere interview with Famitsu, Sakata explains how he, director Kawamura Genki, and screenwriter Kentaro Hirase created the story alongside the game’s solo creator, Kotake Create. Building upon the notion that The Exit 8 constantly made players choose between pushing forward or turning back depending on whether they discovered any anomalies in the game, they decided that the film should also thematically force a decision on The Lost Man, the main protagonist played by Kazunari Ninomiya.
This refers to the major life decision (we won’t spoil what it is) the character faces on a psychological level, in parallel with his physical ordeal in the looping hallways. “We aimed to make it so that his confrontations with the anomalies in the underground passageway also prompt reflection on that major choice,” Sakata says.
Star actor Ninomiya also played an integral role in the film’s success. As a fan of the game, he took part in writing the final script. Sakata knew he had to cast Ninomiya from the early stages of production, recognizing him as an actor who could “convey so much expression through such subtle physical movements and expressions.” It is thanks to Ninomiya that each loop through the Japanese metro passageway feels distinct in The Exit 8 film.
By translating the experience of playing the source material on-screen and attaching the film to a well-known actor, The Exit 8 movie has become a rare instance of a well-made narrative (and commercial blockbuster) coming from a small-scale, story-less indie game.
This could become a trend though, as the iconic Japanese indie horror game The Conveniece Store is set to get its own movie adaptation in 2026.
