Following its acquisition of the film in March, independent studio Utopia has announced the official release of the acclaimed shark film “Hot Spring Shark Attack.” The film will open at select theaters on July 11, 2025, and be made available on VOD across North America the same day.
“Hot Spring Shark Attack” will debut for special preview screenings at various Alamo Drafthouse locations on Wednesday, July 9, before officially opening for extended runs and special engagements on Friday, July 11, in cities like Los Angeles and New York. A complete list of screening dates and times can be found at hotspringsharkattackfilm.com.
The horror comedy marks writer/director Morihito Inoue’s feature directorial debut. The cast includes Takuya Fujimura (“One Cut of the Dead”), Daniel Aguilar (“Shin Godzilla”), Shôichirô Akaboshi, Masaki Naito, Koichi Makigami, Kiyobumi Kaneko, and Mio Takaki.
The film is set in 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, leading to a fierce and thrilling battle.
The film premiered at the 2024 Tokyo International Shark Film Festival, where it took home the Audience Award, and was released in Japan and other international territories last year.
Ahead of the US rollout, Inoue shared, “Shark movies are popular in Japan as well, but the number of shark films produced here has not yet met the growing demand. My film was made domestically in Japan and received great acclaim, not only from regular shark movie enthusiasts but also from many viewers who were previously unfamiliar with the genre. I’m very excited to see how this work will be received outside of Japan.”
“Hot Spring Shark Attack” will be available to rent or own in North America on Cable VOD and Digital HD, including Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, iNDEMAND, and Vubiquity.
