Anime movies have taken over the global box office in recent years, with full-length productions from some of the industry’s biggest titles being screened in sold-out theaters around the world. Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man are two of the latest franchises to break records and rake in profit, and fans can expect others to do the same in coming years.
Now, the biggest anime movie of 2024 will be returning to cinemas, though not as moviegoers remember it. Look Back, based on the original one-shot manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, stunned audiences with its simple yet highly emotional tale of two young artists finding their creative voices, and that same tale is set to come to life in live-action in 2026.
Look Back Is Getting a Live-Action Movie in 2026
Anime’s Most Recent Stand-Out Hit Will Be Adapted Into Live-Action Next Year
Look Back was 2024’s most surprising box office hit. While its $12 million in revenue might seem modest compared to Demon Slayer‘s recent $700 million performance, the film outperformed all expectations considering it lacked the sort of built-in fan base that other established anime titles boast when landing in theaters.
With a stellar 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and an equally impressive 99% audience score, Look Back became an instant favorite of countless moviegoers last year. Now, Fujino and Kyomoto are officially set to return to the big screen in 2026, in a new live-action adaptation directed by Hirokazu Koreeda.
Film buffs are likely to be familiar with Koreeda through movies such as Nobody Knows and Shoplifters, the former of which currently ranks among the Letterbox’d top 250 narrative films of all-time. His involvement in the production has come as a pleasant surprise to fans of the source material, and it’s reported that Koreeda has also written the screenplay for the film.
The Upcoming Look Back Movie Is Another Win for Tatsuki Fujimoto
Look Back is Yet Another Highly Anticipated Adaptation of a Tatsuki Fujimoto Manga
Fans of Tatsuki Fujimoto may be the most spoiled fans in manga, as the upcoming live-action Look Back movie is yet another highly anticipated adaptation of one of the artist’s original works. Following Look Back‘s celebrated 2024 premiere, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has become one of 2025’s biggest anime box-office hits.
Just last month, an anthology series based on a collection of Fujimoto’s short stories premiered to great acclaim on Prime Video. Now, fans have another adaptation to look forward to in the scheduled live-action Look Back movie, set to arrive in 2026. Look Back is one of anime’s most surprising recent hits, and fans won’t want to miss their chance to experience the story on the big screen once more.
- Release Date
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June 28, 2024
- Runtime
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58 Minutes
- Director
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Kiyotaka Oshiyama
- Writers
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Tatsuki Fujimoto, Kiyotaka Oshiyama
