Director Akira Ogata is working on a new film called "Shikeidai no Elevator," a remake of the 1958 French suspense film "Ascenseur pour l'échafaud" ("Elevator to the Gallows") by Louis Malle. Hiroshi Abe (45) and Michiko Kichise (34) are set to co-star.

The original film (which starred Maurice Ronet and Jeanne Moreau) told the story of two lovers, Julien and Florence, who plot to murder Florence's husband. Their plan goes perfectly, but Julien makes a mistake in cleaning up the evidence that leads to him getting trapped in an elevator. Meanwhile, his car is stolen by a young couple, causing Florence to mistakenly believe that Julien has disappeared with another woman.

In the remake, Kichise plays the wife of the president of a medical group, while Abe plays a handsome doctor. The supporting cast includes Tetsuji Tamayama (29) and Keiko Kitagawa (23). Kadokawa Pictures is distributing the film, which is scheduled for a fall 2010 release.