‘Orang Ikan’ – A World War II Fish-Man Creature Feature Inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon

Dean Fujioka (“Fullmetal Alchemist”) and Callum Woodhouse (“All Creatures Great and Small”) are set to take the lead roles in the upcoming creature feature “Orang Ikan,” as reported by Variety.

The film is situated in the backdrop of World War II, with its central creature being a human-fish hybrid!

Variety provides further details, stating, “Set in the Pacific in 1942, a Japanese ship is tasked with transporting prisoners of war to occupied territories for slave labor. However, after being torpedoed by allied submarines, a Japanese soldier and a British POW find themselves stranded on a deserted island, where they quickly discover they are not alone.

“They are now hunted by a ferocious mythological creature known as the Orang Ikan, a human-fish hybrid. Struggling to communicate due to language barriers, the two mortal enemies are forced to join forces to survive the unknown menace.”

Mike Wiluan, known for “Buffalo Boys” and “Grisse,” both as a writer and director, penned the script for “Orang Ikan” and will be helming the film.

Producer Eric Khoo shared with Variety, “I grew up on a steady diet of horror movies, spanning from the supernatural to monster flicks. One of my childhood favorites was the classic 1954 monster movie, ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon.’ During the pandemic, I came across ‘Hell in the Pacific,’ a 1968 war film about a Japanese soldier and an American serviceman stranded on an island, attempting to eliminate each other. That was the lightbulb moment for me – what if an Orang Ikan had washed ashore in that scenario? To survive, the two mortal enemies would need to team up against this terrifying beast! What an exciting premise!”

Writer and director Mike Wiluan added, “Orang Ikan is an origin story with a horror survival theme set in the context of a realistic tragedy during the Second World War in Asia. Utilizing both studio settings and the breathtaking natural landscapes of Indonesia, I’m eager to capture the tension, horror, and beauty of this concept in various exotic locations. We have assembled a fantastic cast, talented artists, and the finest crew to embark on this incredible adventure.”