A-1 Pictures has just announced that it’s developing a new movie adaptation – and it sounds like it’s going to give us a fantasy-based existential crisis.
The anime studio, whose existing titles include Erased, Black Butler, and Solo Leveling, shared today (April 11) that it’s developing a film based on Keigo Higashino’s bestseller Kusunoki no Bannin (Keeper of the Camphor Tree). It also shared that it’s aiming for a 2026 release in Japan.
Published in 2020, the novel follows Reito Naoi after he is unceremoniously sacked from his job and arrested, after he tries to retaliate by stealing a valuable device from his workplace. Later, a random encounter with a mysterious lawyer kicks off a chain of bizarre meetings that, in turn, see him become the caretaker of a supposedly wish-granting tree. Over time, Reito discovers that his life shares a special connection to the tree, and sets out on a mission to unravel its secrets.
↟⍋↟ ────────── 映画『#クスノキの番人』 2026年劇場公開決定─────────── ↟⍋↟累計発行部数100万部突破の人気作#東野圭吾 原作作品を初のアニメーション映画化！#伊藤智彦 監督とA-1 Picturesが卓越した映像美で物語を描きます。公開までお楽しみに 𓂃𓂂 pic.twitter.com/NcNLiA4uigApril 7, 2025
“If you knew you didn’t have long to live, who would you tell? What would you say? And how would you deliver the message?” reads the official logline. The book has reportedly sold over a million copies since its release.
Death Note assistant director Tomohiko Ito, who previously collaborated with A-1 Pictures on Sword Art Online, is set to helm the flick. “People disappear suddenly, and it’s impossible for the status quo to continue forever. This is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot over the past few years… now that I’m over 40, I’ve come to understand the feelings of those who leave behind from the perspective of those who are left behind. I’m not just talking about genetic information, but also things like technology and spirituality,” he said in a statement (via Comic Book Resources).
While we wait for more on Kusunoki no Bannin, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows or our round-up of the best anime titles you need to be watching.
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