A quiet reveal at the end of the latest Chainsaw Man chapter sets the stage for one of the year’s most unexpected announcements.
The Look Back live action film has been officially announced, with award-winning director Hirokazu Koreeda leading the project.
Pairing Koreeda’s reputation for intimate, character-focused filmmaking with Tatsuki Fujimoto’s emotionally charged storytelling marks a collaboration with notable creative weight.
The original Look Back anime earned multiple accolades in 2025, raising expectations on how its grounded themes will translate to a new medium. With its confirmation now public, the adaptation moves from rumor to a project with real momentum.
The Look Back live action adaptation is officially announced
The announcement for the Look Back live action film appeared on the first page of Chainsaw Man chapter 222, titled “Denji Man,” which was released on December 2, 2025. This marked the project’s first official confirmation and was the only detail shared within the chapter itself.
Hirokazu Koreeda has been confirmed as the director, adding significant prestige to the adaptation. Koreeda earned the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for Like Father, Like Son, which premiered on September 28, 2013.
He later won the Palme d’Or for Shoplifters, released on June 8, 2018, a film that also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. His involvement places the project in the hands of one of Japan’s most celebrated filmmakers.
Koreeda was confirmed to serve as the writer and editor of Look Back, with K2 Pictures overseeing production. The film is scheduled for release in Japan in 2026 and serves as the second adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot manga, following the award-winning 2024 anime film.
Alongside the announcement, two promotional posters were released featuring the film’s two lead characters who have yet to be announced.
Look Back began as a one-shot web manga written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto. It was published on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump on July 19, 2021, quickly earning acclaim for its emotional depth and grounded exploration of creativity, rivalry, and grief. The story follows Ayumu Fujino, a young mangaka whose skills develop through her rivalry and later collaboration with a reclusive classmate. Their connection shapes her artistic growth and influences the direction of her work.
The first adaptation was the 2024 anime film, a coming-of-age drama produced by Studio Durian and released in June 28, 2024. The film was met with strong critical reception both in Japan and internationally. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 100% critic rating based on 25 reviews with an average score of 8.7.
On Metacritic, it earned a score of 90 based on six critic reviews, indicating “universal acclaim.” The animated adaptation also went on to win multiple major awards in 2025, including Crunchyroll’s Film of the Year, the Japan Academy Film Prize, and the Daruma for Best Anime and Best Feature Film at the Japan Expo Awards.
The announcement of the Look Back live-action film follows a series of successful releases tied to Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work. The Chainsaw Man manga remains an active publication and continues to release new chapters through Shueisha. Its anime adaptation also maintains a strong global following through its ongoing film and television projects.
The most recent adaptation, the Chainsaw Man Reze Arc movie, was released in Japan on September 19, 2025, and internationally on November 23, 2025. The film grossed US$175 million worldwide, making it the 14th-highest-grossing anime movie to date.
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