TWICE’s Sana Reportedly Set for Film Acting Debut Opposite Takeru Satoh

TWICE member Sana is reportedly preparing to make her film acting debut, marking a major new step in a career that has so far been defined by global pop success, variety appearances, fashion work, and the steady expansion of TWICE’s international reach.

According to a report credited to OSEN and carried by KoreaDaily, Sana has decided to appear in a new film with the working title Nyaangi. The project is described as a Korea-Japan co-production, with Japanese actor Takeru Satoh expected to star opposite her. If the casting proceeds as reported, the film would become Sana’s first acting role and her first big-screen project since debuting with TWICE in 2015.

The reported pairing is already drawing attention because it places Sana, one of K-pop’s most recognizable Japanese stars, alongside Satoh, a leading Japanese actor widely associated with romance, action, and mainstream film success. The report says the two are set to appear as the male and female leads, giving the project immediate cross-border visibility even before production begins.

A Cross-Border Project With Korean Production

Nyaangi is being positioned as a Korea-Japan collaboration. The KoreaDaily report says director Kwon Hyuk Chan is attached to direct, while Cox, NPio Entertainment, and Japan’s JACON are involved as production companies. It also states that Korean production companies Cox and NPio will directly operate the production, with filming expected to begin in Japan later this year and a Korean crew planned for the shoot.

That structure makes the project notable beyond celebrity casting. Korean entertainment companies have increasingly looked for stories and production models that can travel across markets, while Japanese actors and properties remain a strong draw for Korean viewers and global Asian entertainment fans. A film led by Sana and Satoh would sit directly inside that trend, combining K-pop fandom, Japanese star power, and Korean production infrastructure.

For Sana, the reported role would arrive at a carefully watched moment. TWICE passed its 10th anniversary era without member departures, a rarity for a top-tier girl group, and the group continues to perform as a nine-member act with a large global fan base. Rather than signaling a move away from the group, acting would place Sana alongside other members who have broadened their work while remaining part of TWICE’s wider brand.

TWICE Members Continue To Broaden Their Careers

The report notes that TWICE members including Dahyun, Jeongyeon, and Sana have been expanding beyond music. Dahyun, in particular, has already built attention around acting projects, making Sana’s reported film debut part of a larger pattern: senior idols are increasingly treating acting, musicals, hosting, fashion, and solo music as parallel lanes rather than replacements for group activity.

That shift matters because the old assumption that an idol’s acting debut automatically signals a career pivot has become less accurate. For established groups with strong global recognition, screen roles can deepen a member’s public identity while also bringing new audiences back toward the group. In Sana’s case, a Korea-Japan film could also reflect her unusual position as a Japanese artist who became a central figure in one of Korea’s most successful girl groups.

The choice of co-star also raises expectations. Satoh has a reputation for anchoring major Japanese productions and has a fan base in Korea as well. If Nyaangi leans into romance, the casting will naturally invite curiosity about on-screen chemistry. If it takes a different route, the project may still benefit from the contrast between an experienced film actor and a first-time screen performer known for a bright, polished idol image.

Details about the plot, release timing, and final title have not yet been announced in the report. That leaves the project in an early news stage, where casting and production framework are the central facts. Still, the combination of names is enough to make the film one of the more closely watched idol acting debuts on the horizon.

Sana is also balancing the news with TWICE’s ongoing schedule. The group is in the middle of its THIS IS FOR world tour, with final Seoul concerts scheduled for July 10 through July 12 at KSPO DOME, according to the same report. That timing underlines how active TWICE remains as a group even as individual members explore new professional lanes.

For fans, the main question now is how Sana will translate her stage presence to film. Idol performers already work with camera awareness, emotional control, and intense rehearsal systems, but acting asks for a different kind of stillness and character-building. A lead role opposite Satoh would be an ambitious first test, especially in a co-production likely to be watched in both Korea and Japan.

If confirmed in full by the production companies or Sana’s agency, Nyaangi could become a meaningful marker in the next phase of TWICE’s career: not a departure from music, but another sign that the group’s members are moving through their second decade with broader creative options.