"Audition" was originally a project of the Japanese company Omega Project, who wanted to make a horror film after the great financial success of their previous production "Ring". To create the film, the company purchased the rights to Murakami's book and hired screenwriter Daisuke Tengan and director Miike to film an adaptation. The cast and crew consisted primarily of people Miike had worked with on previous projects, with the exception of Shiina, who had worked as a model prior to her career in film. The film was shot in about three weeks in Tokyo.