Oscar Nominated Director Hirokazu Kore-eda Announces Live-Action Adaptation of the Anime LOOK BACK

Hirokazu Kore-eda, the filmmaker behind the acclaimed and Academy Award nominated Shoplifters, is gearing up for a new creative leap. The director is taking on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s emotional manga Look Back and turning it into a live action feature scheduled to arrive next year.

Fans of Fujimoto’s storytelling already saw the manga brought to life in 2024 as a sixty minute anime film, but Kore-eda is crafting something more expansive, writing and directing a full adaptation that is expected to explore beyond the beats of the earlier version.

Fujimoto has been one of the most talked about voices in manga and anime for years, known especially for Chainsaw Man, which recently hit theaters with strong reception. Beyond his biggest title, he has built a reputation for unpredictable stories that swing between chaotic energy and raw, emotional honesty.

That range has made him a favorite for studios looking for fresh adaptations, including Amazon, which recently collected several of his short works into the anthology anime 17-26.

With Look Back, Kore-eda is stepping into a story that already left a major impact. The story follows the connection between two young artists and the way their lives collide in unexpected and affecting ways.

Kore-eda adapting Look Back marks a cool crossover between one of Japan’s most respected filmmakers and a creator whose work is shaping the next era of anime and manga.

It’s an exciting match of creative voices, and if the film stays true to the emotional core of Fujimoto’s story while expanding it, fans are in for something great.