Legendary Hitman Goes Retail: *Sakamoto Days* Live-Action Film Drops Thrilling Trailer and Sets 2026 Golden Week Premiere

The live-action adaptation of Yuichi Suzuki’s popular manga Sakamoto Days is scheduled to premiere during Japan’s Golden Week, with an official release date set for April 29, 2026. This announcement was accompanied by the debut of the film’s first teaser trailer.

The original manga centers on Taro Sakamoto, a retired, once-legendary assassin who attempts to lead a quiet, domestic life managing a convenience store alongside his family. Despite his efforts to settle down, the substantial bounty still placed on his head ensures that the chaotic world he abandoned relentlessly intrudes upon his peace.

The narrative strength of Sakamoto Days lies in Sakamoto’s duality: he must constantly shift between his unassuming, slightly overweight civilian persona and his honed, lethal killer instincts whenever danger arises. The recently unveiled teaser, distributed via platforms such as TOHO Movie's official YouTube channel on December 10, vividly showcases this central conflict, providing fans with their clearest look yet at the adaptation.

Snow Man idol Ren Meguro steps into the complex role of Taro Sakamoto. A detail that has garnered significant online attention is Meguro's physical transformation into the ‘plump Sakamoto,’ a process reportedly necessitating four hours of highly detailed special effects makeup daily. This commitment has been widely praised by netizens for achieving remarkable, natural realism.

These stunning visual effects are complemented by dynamic, high-octane action sequences that promise to bring iconic moments from the source material vividly to the silver screen. The stellar supporting cast includes Fumiya Takahashi, portraying the young assassin Shin Asakura; Aya Ueto as Sakamoto’s supportive wife, Aoi; and Miyu Yoshimoto as their daughter, Hana. Their inclusion suggests a potent mix of intense action balanced by genuine, heartfelt family dynamics.

Steering the project is the acclaimed director and screenwriter Yuichi Fukuda, celebrated for successfully bringing properties such as Gintama and Under Ninja to live-action. Fukuda is joined by action director Keiya Tabuchi, known for his work on massive productions including Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 and the live-action Attack on Titan films.

Fukuda has expressed immense confidence in the production, noting that the editing is finalized, and the raw footage is already compelling even prior to the addition of CG or musical scores, underscoring the production’s high quality. Produced collaboratively by CREDEUS and Avex Pictures, the film aims to perfectly capture the Sakamoto Days franchise's signature combination of exaggerated, over-the-top action and genuine comedic timing.

This cinematic release follows the success of the recent anime series, which concluded its two-cour run on TV Tokyo and Netflix earlier this year. The franchise continues its momentum with the manga spinoff Sakamoto Holidays (penned by assistant Tetsu Okawa in Saikyō Jump since July 2024), along with several successful novels and a smartphone puzzle game. As excitement mounts for Meguro's anticipated dual performance and the film's high production standards, the world awaits confirmation of a potential international release. This Golden Week premiere positions the movie as a potential landmark success in the realm of anime-to-live-action adaptations in Japan.