Chainsaw Man Creator’s Heartbreaking One-Shot Is Getting a Surprise Live-Action Adaptation

Look Back drops in 2026—start the countdown.

Well this is a curveball I did not have on my bingo card: Tatsuki Fujimoto's gut-punch one-shot 'Look Back' is heading to live action, and it is being steered by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Yes, that Kore-eda.

• 'Look Back' is getting a live-action film in 2026, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.
• The reveal came two ways at once: from Chainsaw Man editor Shihei Lin on Twitter and inside the latest chapter of Chainsaw Man in Weekly Shonen Jump.
• Two first-look images are out: one of the duo walking through snow, another of them grinding away on their manga pages.
• Story recap: it follows two teenage manga hopefuls, Fujino and the shy, reclusive Kyomoto, who drift apart before a tragic incident turns their lives inside out.
• Kore-eda is the Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker behind 'Shoplifters' (2018) and 'Like Father, Like Son' (2013) — not exactly the person you expect to adapt a manga one-shot, which makes this extra interesting.
• 'Look Back' already had a beautiful animated film that hit Prime Video last year.
• It caps a stacked year for Fujimoto fans: 'Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc' hit theaters, and his pre-Chainsaw Man shorts got the anthology treatment in the animated '17-26'.
• Meanwhile, anime winter season is loaded with new drops: 'Fire Force', 'Jujutsu Kaisen' season 3, and 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' season 2 — if you are into Frieren's vibe, 'Look Back' should be on your list.

The announcement (and the receipts)

Shihei Lin put it out there on December 2, 2025, and Shonen Jump backed it up right on the page. The tweet was short and blunt, which fits the news:

'Look Back' live-action film is coming in 2026. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Alongside that, the production dropped two stills: the girls in a quiet snowfall and, in a nice meta touch, hunched over their desks cranking out manga. No casting or studio details yet, so we are still in teaser territory.

Why Kore-eda changes the equation

Kore-eda does intimate, humane drama better than pretty much anyone, which is exactly the wavelength 'Look Back' lives on. It is a small story about ambition, envy, and grief that hits like a freight train. Handing it to a director known for delicate character work instead of spectacle is a savvy choice — and a little surprising for a manga adaptation.

Quick refresher on the source

Fujimoto's one-shot centers on two teenage artists: Fujino, the go-getter, and Kyomoto, a withdrawn prodigy. They start as rivals, become collaborators, drift apart, and then a horrible event forces everything into focus. The animated version (which landed on Prime Video last year) already proved the story works on screen; now the question is how a live-action version stretches a one-shot into a feature without losing its punch.

The bigger picture

Fujimoto's orbit has been busy: the 'Reze Arc' Chainsaw Man movie played in theaters, and '17-26' adapted his pre-Chainsaw Man shorts into an anthology. Zooming out, the winter slate is no slouch either — 'Fire Force', 'Jujutsu Kaisen' season 3, and 'Frieren' season 2 are all in the mix — so 'Look Back' landing a 2026 live-action date feels like a confident baton pass into the next wave.

Bottom line: a prestige filmmaker tackling one of the most affecting manga one-shots of the past few years, with 2026 circled on the calendar. I am cautiously excited — this pairing makes sense in the best way.