Smash Netflix Anime Sakamoto Days Is Finally Getting a Live-Action Movie — Release Window Revealed
Netflix hit Sakamoto Days is leaping from stream to screen: a live-action movie is officially on the way with cast revealed and a release window set, just as Season 1 barrels toward its September 23 finale.
File this one under: not shocking, but still cool. Netflix's hit anime 'Sakamoto Days' is jumping to live action, and the movie has a release window, a director, and (reportedly) its lead. A couple of details are oddly phrased, so let's untangle it.
The movie plan
- Release window: Golden Week 2026 in Japan (late April to early May), i.e., a prime holiday slot in theaters.
- Format: Expected to be released in two parts.
- Director: Fukuda Yuichi, best known for the live-action 'Gintama' movies.
- Star: Ren Meguro will reportedly play Taro Sakamoto, per Crunchyroll. You might know him from the live-action 'My Happy Marriage.'
- Announcement: Toho Movies posted the first live-action visual and a teaser message on X on September 21, 2025, and hinted that more news would drop the next day.
'Live-action film adaptation, finally starting! Scheduled for release during Golden Week 6! The movie "SAKAMOTO DAYS" The legendary assassin, Tarou Sakamoto [live-action visual] revealed!'
Yes, they literally wrote 'Golden Week 6,' which reads like shorthand for 2026. Between that and the follow-up-tease of 'more tomorrow,' the plan seems set but still rolling out in stages.
Where the anime is right now
The anime adaptation of Yuta Suzuki's manga has been running on Netflix this year. Part 1 of Season 1 dropped in January 2025, Part 2 followed in July 2025, and the Season 1 finale is set for September 23, 2025. If you want to catch up before the live-action campaign really ramps up, it's all in one place.
Quick refresher on the setup
The story follows Taro Sakamoto, a legendary assassin who walked away from the underworld after falling in love. Now he's a happily domestic guy running a convenience store with his wife and kid. That peace does not last: an old colleague shows up, and Sakamoto gets pulled back toward the life he thought he'd buried.
My take
Golden Week is a big, confident slot, and the two-part plan screams 'ambitious adaptation.' Bringing in Fukuda Yuichi makes sense given how he handled 'Gintama' tonally. If the 'reportedly' on Ren Meguro locks in, the movie is clearly aiming for broad appeal. More details soon, apparently—Toho is already in tease-and-reveal mode.