Beloved manga Naruto is coming to the big screen with a live action movie directed by a big Hollywood name. Here is all we know about it.
Naruto has become one of the biggest manga brands in the world in recent years, and fans have a new reason for excitement as it has been announced that Sony has partnered with Lionsgate to bring Naruto to the big screen in a live-action movie, as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition, Sony and Lionsgate have attracted a huge Hollywood name to write and direct the movie who is coming off the back of a massive critical and commercial success.
While there is a somewhat chequered history of live-action adaptations of manga franchise – Dragon Ball being a case in point – there are hopes this will translate well to live-action.
Here is all we know about the live-action Naruto movie.
What is Naruto?
Naruto, which was created and written by Masashi Kishimoto, ran in Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999-2014. It told the story of young ninja Naruto Uzumaki, who dreams of becoming the leader of his village.
But Naruto is no ordinary boy – he has the spirit of a demonic nine-tailed fox inside him, which complicates matters as he seeks to move up the ninja ranks.
How popular is Naruto?
Naruto is massive and has become one of the biggest names in the genre across the world, with the franchise being worth billions of dollars. The manga has sold more than 250 million copies in over 60 countries.
Meanwhile the animated series has been hugely popular and has run in 145 countries and territories.
There is also a huge Naruto merchandising industry, with everything from collectable figures to stationery sets available.
Who is writing and directing Naruto?
The writer, director and producer of Naruto will be Destin Daniel Cretton. Destin is hot property right now, having directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is 2026’s highest grossing film worldwide to date, taking more than $2.5 billion.
Destin said in a statement that he is a long-term fan of Naruto – which will please fans that the name is in safe hands. “I’ve always loved that beneath the extraordinary action is a story filled with heart, humour and humanity. Kishimoto-sensei created a world where unlikely heroes do extraordinary things, and that’s what makes it so special.”
What has Lionsgate said about Naruto?
Lionsgate chair, Adam Fogelson, said in statement that the company and Sony “share an enormous ambition for Naruto and a commitment to making this a truly global cinematic event that stays true to what millions of existing fans love and invites so many more to embrace what makes it truly special.”
Who will star in Naruto?
There has been no confirmation yet as to who will star in Naruto, although there are rumours that Charles Melton (best known for playing Reggie in Riverdale from 2017-23 and Ausin in season 2 of Beef) is in talks to play Kakashi Hatake, who is a ninja mentor to Naruto and his friends.
However, with the might of Sony behind it, as well as Destin on board as writer and director, then it is likely they will be able to pull in big stars to take on the main roles – should they want to go down that route.
When will I be able to see Naruto at the theater?
No release date has been announced yet. Production is set to begin in spring of next year, and, given how long filming and post-production takes on these sorts of movies, a release date of mid-2028 would seem likely.
