Charming First Teaser Trailer for Live-Action LOOK BACK From the Creator of CHAINSAW MAN

Fans of Tatsuki Fujimoto's work have another adaptation to look forward to. While the creator is best known for Chainsaw Man, his emotionally powerful one-shot manga Look Back is making the jump to live-action, and the first teaser trailer has arrived along with new details on the cast and production.

GKIDS has released a teaser trailer and two new key visuals for the upcoming film, which is being directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda.

The movie is set to open in Japanese theaters on September 11, 2026, and it marks the first live-action adaptation of Fujimoto’s beloved manga.

The story centers on Fujino, a confident young artist who enjoys praise for the manga strips she creates for her school newspaper. Her world changes when she encounters Kyomoto, a withdrawn classmate whose artistic abilities far surpass her own.

What begins as rivalry gradually evolves into a strong connection, with the two bonding through their shared love of manga. The story follows their relationship from childhood into adulthood as their passion for creating comics shapes the course of their lives.

The teaser also confirms the film’s cast. Natsuki Deguchi will star as Fujino, while Aju Makita takes on the role of Kyomoto. Playing the younger versions of the characters are Furi Nanase and Rokka Okada.

Deguchi and Makita previously worked with Kore-eda on The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, making this a reunion between the director and two of his actors.

Kore-eda is taking on multiple creative responsibilities for the project, serving as director, writer, and editor. The film is being produced by K2 Pictures under Daiju Koide.

Kore-eda’s connection to Look Back began long before he joined the project. The filmmaker discovered the manga while browsing a bookstore in Shinagawa Station and was immediately drawn in.

After reading it, he explained that he “felt the desperate resolve” behind Fujimoto’s work after reading it in “one sitting.” He also compared his attachment to Look Back to the personal connection he has with his own film Nobody Knows.

When producer Koide later approached him about directing an adaptation, the timing seemed almost too perfect. After eventually meeting Fujimoto, Kore-eda said he “had no choice but to do it.”

Production on the film took place in Nikaho, Akita, where local residents reportedly played an active role in supporting the shoot. Filming stretched from February through November 2025, allowing the production to capture all four seasons and giving the movie a natural visual progression that mirrors the passage of time in the story.

For audiences outside Japan, GKIDS will release Look Back in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland later in 2026. International sales outside of Asia are being handled by Goodfellas.

Fujimoto’s original manga struck a chord with readers thanks to its heartfelt exploration of creativity, friendship, ambition, and loss.

The animated adaptation already proved how effective the story can be on screen, and now it will be fascinating to see how Kore-eda brings this deeply personal tale into the live-action world.

Based on the talent involved and the emotional weight of the source material, this is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing manga adaptations arriving next year.