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Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters Per Second anime will be adapted into a live-action film scheduled to release in Fall 2025.

SixTONES’ Hokuto Matsumura has been cast as the protagonist Takaki Tono.

The screenplay is written by Ayako Suzuki, with Yoshiyuki Okuyama serving as the director.

Shinkai expressed his excitement about the upcoming adaptation, stating, “The animated film 5 Centimeters Per Second, which I directed almost 20 years ago, is an incredibly raw and unfinished work. But perhaps because of that very incompleteness, it has remained beloved for so long. I could never make a film like that again today, nor could I replicate it. That’s why I’m so excited that a passionate young team, led by Director Okuyama, is once again embracing 5 Centimeters Per Second. I also feel a sense of life’s strange wonder that Hokuto Matsumura, the actor I trust the most, will be playing the lead role. I hope this will be a film that can only be made in this moment, and I’m eagerly awaiting its completion, cheering everyone on.“

Comments from the cast and staff members can be read below:

Hokuto Matsumura:

I’ve rewatched the original work countless times, and because of that, I feel the weight of responsibility every day. This original story has deeply impacted the lives of many people. Fans have their own interpretations and worlds, and I am one of them. I initially hesitated to take part in the live-action adaptation, feeling that I wasn’t yet ready for such a significant project. But Director Okuyama and the production team’s passion and love for the original, along with Shinkai-san’s words, “I’d like to see you in the role, Hokuto,” gave me the reason I needed to take on this challenge. This film is being made by a team that has been inspired and influenced by 5 Centimeters Per Second, and I will approach it with deep respect for both the original team and the fans.

Yuki Okuyama:

I feel a profound sense of destiny in the fact that I’m directing a story that Makoto Shinkai crafted at the age of 33, and I, too, am now 33. Facing 5 Centimeters Per Second every day, I’m reminded that there are things you can only create at a particular moment in time, and perspectives that, eventually, we may forget. With the warm support of a deeply trusted team, I want to approach each scene and each second with sincerity, creating something with care and urgency. I will leave behind all the sentimentality I have inside me for this film, so please look forward to it.

Fumiko Suzuki:

I first watched Makoto Shinkai’s 5 Centimeters Per Second in my twenties. Many people on the team saw it for the first time during their middle or high school years. Depending on when we first encountered this profound work, our connection to it feels different. Facing such a deeply moving original story has been both thrilling and nerve-wracking. Together with Director Okuyama, a sincere team of trusted staff, and the earnest cast, I’ve woven everything we discussed into the screenplay. I hope it reaches many people’s hearts in this moment.

Hiroaki Tamai (Producer):

We are deeply grateful to Makoto Shinkai and the team at CoMix Wave Films for supporting this project, offering invaluable guidance, and accepting this bold challenge of adapting such a beloved and timeless work into live-action. Alongside the exceptionally talented Director Yuki Okuyama, Hokuto Matsumura, and the rest of the cast, we’ve gathered experts with extraordinary talent, skill, and refined sensibilities across various domains, including screenplay, visuals, sound, and design. We hope you’ll look forward to more updates as we move closer to the film’s release.

5 Centimeters Per Second anime film, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, released on 3 March 2007.

The film was awarded Best Animated Feature Film at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. It received a novelization in November 2007 and a manga adaptation illustrated by Seike Yukiko in 2010.

Source: Comic Natalie