Shang-Chi Director Is Making A Live-Action Naruto Movie

Shang-Chi writer Destin Daniel Cretton will write and direct an upcoming live-action Naruto movie for Lionsgate, The Hollywood Reporter says in a new report, with Hisako and Arad Productions also involved. Cretton will produce the film with Hisako’s Jeyun Munford, along with Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu of Arad Productions, the three of whom are also producing Lionsgate’s Borderlands movie.

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The Lionsgate Naruto movie marks the first time the series, called the most popular ninja manga in the world, makes the jump to live action. It follows Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, and Avatar: The Last Airbender in a recent trend of adapting well-known anime and manga franchises into live-action form, often with mixed results

Masashi Kishimoto created Naruto in 1997 as a one-shot manga about a ninja and fox spirits. Its popularity grew rapidly, and Kishimoto turned it into a serialized manga about a ninja who wants to lead his village and also has a dragon inside him, because of course he does. Weekly Shonen ran the Naruto manga from 1999 until the series ended in 2014, and Aniplex adapted it into an anime that ran from 2002 until 2017.

“When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto,” Kishimoto said in a statement. “After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for Naturo. In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process.”

“This manga classic is beloved by millions of fans all around the world, and Destin has delivered a vision for the movie that we believe will excite that massive fan base as well as those who are new to it,” Adam Fogelson, motion picture group chair at Lionsgate, said. “Avi and I have had the pleasure of working together before and I know that as we collaborate with Destin and the team on Naruto, we are in extraordinary hands.”

Lionsgate has no logline or production timeline for the Naruto movie yet. It’s unclear which part of the manga Cretton will adapt or if he plans to tell a new story in the Naruto universe.

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