Tim Burton has reportedly found his next directorial project as he wraps on Wednesday. The filmmaker is preparing to move on to a new feature film that could explore a setting beyond the gothic, supernatural stories associated with his recent works.
According to Deadline, Burton will direct a movie based on an original screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro. Sources indicate the untitled film is set in post-World War II Japan and is not based on any of Ishiguro’s existing or upcoming novels.
The project currently has no distributor. The plan is reportedly to assemble a package with talent before taking the film to market. The cast and production schedule remain unconfirmed.
Kazuo Ishiguro’s previous films & upcoming Jenna Ortega movie
Ishiguro’s novels have inspired several feature films. James Ivory directed The Remains of the Day, starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. The story follows a British butler whose professional devotion influences his personal life. The 1993 release earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go inspired a 2010 film directed by Mark Romanek. The sci-fi drama stars Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley as three friends who grow up in a society that creates clones to donate their organs.
Ishiguro’s 2021 novel Klara and the Sun is also being adapted into a film. Directed by Taika Waititi, it stars Jenna Ortega as Klara, an artificial friend who wants to find a home and help a young girl named Josie. Amy Adams plays Josie’s mother, while Mia Tharia portrays Josie. It will be released in theaters on October 23, 2026.
The author has also contributed to films as a screenwriter. He wrote the screenplay for The White Countess, a 2005 historical drama directed by James Ivory, and adapted Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru into the 2022 film Living, starring Bill Nighy.
The upcoming film could bring together Burton’s visual storytelling and Ishiguro’s original writing. However, the makers have not yet announced the cast or confirmed distribution details.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
