Ryota Bando and Akari Takaishi to star in film Saturday Night Theater

The film ‘Saturday Night Theater’ is scheduled for a nationwide release in Japan in the spring of 2027. Starring Ryota Bando and Akari Takaishi, the movie is based on a short story by Yuki Haru, which won the second ‘Hitsujibungaku Award’—a collaborative project between the novel-posting site monogatary.com and the band Hitsujibungaku.

The story follows a film enthusiast named Mikio, played by Bando, who initiates a “planned romance” to write a screenplay. He becomes entangled with Tsugumi, played by Takaishi, a character who struggles with the gap between her dreams and reality. The film is inspired by the Hitsujibungaku song ‘Yoru wo Koete’.

Yasumi Endo will make his feature film directorial debut with this project, also serving as the screenwriter. The production features a technical crew including cinematographer Shunsuke Shinomiya, known for ‘Drive My Car’. A novelization of the story is expected to be released by Kodansha in November.