After much speculation about whether horror-genre director Shimizu Takashi (The Grudge, Ju-on) would be the one to helm a live-action adaptation of Eiko Kadono’s children’s fantasy novel Kiki’s Delivery Service, Japanese newspapers Sports Nippon and Sports Hochi shed some light on the rumors.  The publications announced today that Takashi is indeed taking the reigns of the project and a live action version of Kiki’s Delivery Service is in the works.  Sixteen-year-old Japanese figure skater Fuka Koshiba is reportedly set for the starring role of Kiki.  The novel follows a young witch, who must use her flying abilities to make a living, while she spends a year on her own in a town without any other witches.  Hit the jump for more. 

Air travel is already annoying enough without supernatural terror going down.  There’s not enough leg room, they now charge you for every little thing (in our lifetime, major airlines will charge you to use the bathroom), and it does everything in its power to diminish the magic of air travel.  I suppose we’ll have to settle for dark magic or whatever freaky thing is attacking the passengers of 7500, the new film from Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge).  I really hope that it’s attacking because some guy didn’t turn off his electronic device during take-off. Please let that be the reason.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Ryan Kwanten, Leslie Bibb, Nicky Whelan, Jerry Ferrera, Christian Serratos, Jamie Chung, and Amy Smart.  7500 opens August 31st.

CBS Films has acquired the pitch for a thriller called Flight 75 that will be helmed by The Grudge director Takashi Shimizu. Deadline reports that Shimizu wrote the treatment for the film, and the studio will set a screenwriter to get to work on the script shortly. The report describes it as a “clausterphobic thriller” set on a transpacific airliner that encounters supernatural forces. Taka Ichise (The Grudge) will produce alongside Roy Lee (The Ring) and Steven Schneider (Insidious). They’re hoping to get production underway this fall.