- Tatsuki Fujimoto's Look Back one-shot manga is receiving a live-action movie adaptation, set for a 2026 release.
- Hirokazu Kore-eda, the legendary Japanese filmmaker, is directing the live-action movie.
- The production work for Look Back live-action movie has wrapped up, and editing work has begun.
Tatsuki Fujimoto must be one of the luckiest manga authors of our time, as his works continue to find new life across various media. The debut season of Chainsaw Man, the Look Back anime movie-adaptation, the latest CSM the Movie: Reze Arc, and the 17-26 one-shot anime are blockbusters. Although Fujimoto’s Look Back has already received an anime adaptation, it is now being adapted into a live-action movie by a Palme d’Or-winning Japanese Director, Hirokazu Kore-eda.
Hirokazu Kore-eda Is Directing the Live-Action Adaptation of Look Back
The latest chapter of Chainsaw Man had a surprise in the end. The announcement of the live-action adaptation of Fujimoto’s Look Back was quietly made at the end. Hirokazu Kore-eda, one of the greatest directors of our times and a Palme d’Or winner, is revealed to be the director of the Look Back live-action movie today.
Surprisingly, the live-action movie Look Back has already been shot in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture, and post-production work is currently in full swing. Therefore, the Look Back live-action movie is slated to premiere sometime in 2026.
According to Deadline, Kore-eda shared his reminiscent thoughts about discovering the Look Back manga and reading it in one night:
On a return trip from Kyoto to Tokyo, I was drawn to a figure’s back on the cover of a book in a bookstore at Shinagawa Station. Without thinking, I picked a copy up that was my first encounter with Look Back. That night, I read it in one sitting. Though manga and film are different genres, as a fellow creator, I felt the desperate resolve behind this work. I could feel, almost painfully, that Mr. Fujimoto simply couldn’t move forward without creating this piece. For me, Nobody Knows was that kind of work.
Tatsuki Fujimoto, who was a big fan of Kore-eda’s “Our Little Sister”, also expressed his feelings about his work being adapted into a movie by legendary director Kore-eda:
If Director Kore-eda is going to film Look Back, I have nothing more to say. I’m looking forward to it!
With a runtime of just 60 minutes, the Look Back anime movie moved millions worldwide with its emotional tale. Now, Kore-eda, known for his masterpieces such as Shoplifters, Nobody Knows, Maborosi, and many more, is set to bring a brilliant adaptation of Look Back to the big screens next year. That said, are you looking forward to watching the live-action version of Look Back next year? Let us know in the comments below.
