After years of silence, the Naruto live-action is back in full gear.
A live adaptation of the iconic anime and manga series has been teased for almost a decade now, but production halted for several years. It’s largely uncertain what triggered the news, but keen anime fans can’t help but point to the success of Netflix’s One Piece adaptation, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest hits of 2023. Nonetheless, it looks like we’ll be catching Naruto and Sasuke in theaters sooner than later after all. As more details regarding the project start to emerge, here’s everything we know about it so far.
Naruto release window
Lionsgate, the popular entertainment firm, began production on a Naruto adaptation in July 2015, with renowned director Michael Gracey set to direct. Details about the project were scarce for several years, however, largely leaving fans in the dark. All that changed earlier in 2023, when it was reported by Variety that Tasha Huo, one of their 10 screenwriters to watch, was signed on as the film’s screenwriter. Huo is largely known for her work on the upcoming Red Sonja, and Netflix’s Tomb Raider animation adaptation.
Huo status as screenwriter didn’t maintain for long, however, and in 2024 it was reported that Destin Daniel Cretton, one of the masterminds behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is headed in to both write and direct the live-action Naruto.
Cretton is joined by several other talented names, including Jeyun Munford, Avi and Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu, who are behind popular recent and upcoming releases like 2023’s Dungeons & Dragons flick and 2024’s Borderlands adaptation. To top it off, Cretton’s involvement is endorsed by Masashi Kishimoto himself, who originally created Naruto. He’s noted his faith in Cretton, noting that he sees the 45-year-old as “the perfect director for Naruto.”
There’s no official release date for the Naruto film just yet, but with Cretton officially attached, things are looking up. People are broadly expecting the film to release in 2025, particularly if production gets properly underway by mid-2024.
What to expect?
The Naruto manga spans 700 chapters and encompasses 49 arcs between Naruto and Naruto: Shippūden. There are concerns over which story arc the film will adapt. Some fans are wary, citing the sometimes-poor track record of live-action anime adaptations, while others are encouraged by recent successes, particularly Netflix’s One Piece live-action, which stayed true to the source material. Given that the upcoming project is based on a long-running anime series, deciding which Naruto storyline will be chosen to adapt will be difficult.
Nonetheless, two animated movies, The Last: Naruto the Movie, and Boruto: Naruto the Movie were set years after the events of the fourth great Ninja War. The Last Movie focuses on Naruto Uzumaki’s ninja team as they go on a mission to stop the moon from colliding with Earth. The chaos is led by Toneri Otsutsuki, a man who wishes to marry Hinata and punish mankind for weaponizing chakra. The sequel, Boruto, focuses on Boruto Uzumaki, the son of Naruto, who confronts a powerful duo threatening the Hidden Leaf village, leading him on a journey of self-discovery and legacy. It’s uncertain if the live-action will follow these films, but they are the only films in the franchise that are considered canon.
With reports of Masashi Kishimoto’s involvement in the film, the project has the potential to succeed. Moreover, it could join the ranks of the best live-action adaptations ever. With the production still in its early stages, no announcement has been made on the cast. In the same vein, other relevant information, such as production time, budget, and set locations have yet to be revealed.
