Look Back (2026 film)
Upcoming film by Hirokazu Kore-eda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Look Back (Japanese: ルックバック, Hepburn: Rukku Bakku) is an upcoming Japanese coming-of-age drama film written, directed, and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It is the second adaptation of the 2021 one-shot manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, following the 2024 anime film adaptation. The film stars Natsuki Deguchi, Aju Makita, Furi Nanase, and Rokka Okada.
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| Look Back | |
|---|---|
Teaser poster | |
| Katakana | ルックバック |
| Revised Hepburn | Rukku Bakku |
| Directed by | Hirokazu Kore-eda |
| Screenplay by | Hirokazu Kore-eda |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Daiju Koide |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Senzo Ueno |
| Edited by | Hirokazu Kore-eda |
| Music by | Yuta Bandoh |
Production company | K2 Pictures |
| Distributed by | K2 Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 99 minutes[a] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
The film will premiere in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in September 2026. It will be released theatrically in Japan by K2 Pictures on September 11.
Plot
The story follows Fujino (藤野), a popular and outgoing student, and Kyomoto (京本, Kyōmoto), a shut-in with severe social anxiety, who bond over their shared love of creating manga. Kyomoto idolises Fujino for her work drawing manga for their elementary school's newspaper, wishing to befriend her, however Fujino initially resents Kyomoto's natural artistic talents. The pair grow close through their shared love, with the work following their bond as they grow into adulthood.
Cast
- Natsuki Deguchi as Fujino[4]
- Furi Nanase as young Fujino[4]
- Aju Makita as Kyomoto[4]
- Rokka Okada as young Kyomoto[4]
- Masaki Suda as Maeda[1]
- Kankurō Kudō as Tamai[1]
- Kayo Noro as Akari Fujino[1]
- Ryō Ikeda as Hitoshi Fujino[1]
- Miyu Sasaki as Megumi Fujino[1]
- Maho Yamada as Manabe[1]
Production
Development
In December 2025, it was announced that Tatsuki Fujimoto's 2021 one-shot manga Look Back will be adapted into a live-action film, with Hirokazu Kore-eda serving as the director, screenwriter, and editor.[5] The film is the first live-action adaptation of Fujimoto's works and comes after the manga's 2024 anime film adaptation.[5] Kensei Nakayama is the assistant director, Ryōko Taguchi is the script supervisor, and Yuta Bandoh will compose the film's music.[4][6] Daiju Koide will serve as the producer under K2 Pictures.[7]
Kore-eda discovered Look Back after seeing its cover at a bookstore at Shinagawa Station and being attracted to "a figure's back". He read the manga in one sitting and "felt the desperate resolve" behind it, adding: "I could feel, almost painfully, that Mr. Fujimoto simply couldn't move forward without creating this piece. For me, Nobody Knows was that kind of work".[7] Koide approached Kore-eda with an offer to adapt the manga into a live-action film.[7] After receiving the offer and meeting Fujimoto, Kore-eda said that he "had no choice but to do it".[5]
Casting
Toshie Tabata and Yōko Yamashita are in charge of casting.[6] In June 2026, it was announced that Natsuki Deguchi and Aju Makita would portray the main characters Fujino and Kyomoto.[4][8] They had previously co-starred in the Netflix series The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, which was also directed by Kore-eda.[4] Prior to filming, they had practiced drawing manga for four months.[8] Furi Nanase and Rokka Okada were also revealed to be portraying the younger versions of Fujino and Kyomoto. Nanase and Okada are real-life classmates, with Kore-eda stating after auditions that they were the only two who could play the roles.[8] The film serves as Nanase's acting debut.[8] In July 2026, Masaki Suda, Kankurō Kudō, Kayo Noro, Ryō Ikeda, Miyu Sasaki, and Maho Yamada joined the cast.[1]
Filming and post-production
Look Back was shot on 35mm film at Kore-eda's request, and was primarily filmed in Nikaho, Akita, with local residents cooperating in the production.[5][9] Senzo Ueno is the film's cinematographer.[9] The winter and spring scenes were shot from February to May 2025; the summer scenes were filmed in July, and the autumn scenes were filmed in November.[9] The film was in post-production at the time it was officially announced;[5] in July 2026, it was reported as being completed with a runtime of 99 minutes.[2][a]
Marketing
Along with the film's announcement, two promotional posters photographed by Hideaki Hamada were released, featuring the two leads with their faces obscured in both and their actresses unidentified.[5][10] A teaser trailer was unveiled at the Jump Festa 2026 event in December 2025.[11] A second trailer and two teaser posters were released in June 2026.[4][12] The film's main trailer was unveiled the following month along with two additional posters.[1]
Release
Look Back will premiere in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which will take place from September 2–12, 2026.[13] It will be released in Japan by K2 Pictures on September 11.[4] GKIDS will release the film in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland in 2026.[12][14] The film will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026.[15] Goodfellas is handling international sales outside of Asia.[7]
Notes
- While several sources state the film's runtime as 99 minutes,[1][2] the Venice Biennale website lists the runtime as 100 minutes.[3]
