Hit Manga Look Back Gets Live-Action Film Directed by Kore-eda
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda was already expected to release his new film, Sheep in the Box, next year. Surprisingly, it has been revealed that he has already completed filming another movie, one that is likely very familiar to many: the live-action adaptation of Look Back.
K2 Pictures recently announced that the live-action film adaptation of Look Back will be released in 2026. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the film is adapted from the acclaimed one-shot manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man). Filming has already been completed in Fujimoto's hometown of Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture. Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.
The original Look Back manga was published in 2021, won first place in the male category of Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (This Manga is Amazing!), and was nominated for the Manga Taishō Award. In 2024, it was adapted into an animated film of the same name, directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama, which received excellent reviews and won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Animation of the Year, as well as the Crunchyroll Anime Award for Film of the Year. Tatsuki Fujimoto's other major work, Chainsaw Man, also saw the release of the anime film Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc this year, which received positive reviews and grossed over $170 million, ranking 14th on the all-time Japanese film box office chart.
Hirokazu Kore-eda is one of the most prominent Japanese directors working today. His films Like Father, Like Son and Shoplifters won the Jury Prize and the top honor Palme d'Or, respectively, at the Cannes Film Festival. He has also won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Director three times for Our Little Sister, The Third Murder, and Shoplifters. After Shoplifters, he directed his first French film, The Truth, and his first Korean film, Broker. Next year, he is set to release his new film, Sheep in the Box, starring Mainichi Film Awards winner Haruka Ayase (Our Little Sister).
The studio also recently released the following two teaser posters for Look Back.
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Photo: K2 Pictures
Source: K2 Pictures, GKIDS Films