It has been announced that the comedy manga "High School Family," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), will be adapted into a live-action film starring actor Shingo Katori. The coming-of-age comedy depicts the turbulent school life of a family whose entire family, including their pets, end up attending the same high school. Katori will play Ichiro Ietani, a former salaryman who becomes a classmate of the eldest son. The film is scheduled for release in autumn 2026 or later.
"High School Family" is a manga by Ryo Nakama, who is also known for "The Tale of Isobe Isobee: Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo," and was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from 2020 to 2023. It gained popularity for its unique way of speaking and gentle laughter that doesn't hurt anyone, and it has many loyal fans even after the end of the serialization.
It was also announced that Naka Riisa will play the mother, Ietani Shizuka, Saito Jun will play the eldest son, Kotaro, and child actress Nagao Yuno will play Kotaro's younger sister, Haruka. The Ietani family's cat, Gomez, who lives with the family through high school, will be played by Daifuku, an actor cat who has appeared in numerous commercials and films. The film will be directed by Ruto Toichiro, known for "Ossan's Love" and the "The Way of the Househusband" series, and the script will be written by Ueda Makoto of the theater company "Europe Kikaku."
A visual of him in the Ietani family uniform was also released. Katori commented, "On the first day of filming, everyone burst out laughing as soon as I walked onto the set, and at that point I knew this movie was going to be great. Ichiro, the character I play, has a line that says, 'I've always wanted to be a high school student. My dad only has a middle school education,' and the truth is, I also only had a middle school education. I've always had a longing for high school students because I've always worked. So I really understand Ichiro's feelings. His thoughts about high school students, and high school life. I'm happy to be playing Ichiro. I got the role of a tearful high school student!"
Naka said, "I never thought I'd be able to play a high school student at 36 years old! I was so happy. This is my first time acting with Katori in over 15 years, so I'm really happy to be reunited with him in this unexpected role of a married couple. I'm really excited to be working on a comedy with Katori."
Author Ryo Nakama expressed his hopes, saying, "I'm very happy that 'High School Family' is being made into a live-action movie. It's been over two years since the serialization ended, so I hope that by shining the spotlight once again, fans who read the series will be able to reminisce about many things, and for those who are encountering 'High School Family' for the first time through the movie, it will be a wonderful opportunity to learn that such a laid-back and quirky manga was serialized in Jump."
