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Friday, February 23, 2024 saw Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s chair Adam Fogelson announce that a director for their coming Naruto Live Action film has been chosen.
Fogelson confirmed that Lionsgate has closed a deal with director Destin Daniel Cretton for the project, best known for his work on the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings film.
Cretton will direct and write the Naruto Live Action film, which serves as a theatrical adaptation of author and illustrator Masashi Kishimoto’s original manga series of the same name.
It was also confirmed that Cretton will direct and write the movie in collaboration with Kishimoto, suggesting that the original creator will play a large and active role in the film’s production.
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News of the film’s production first came out in July 2015, when it was reported that Lionsgate had closed a deal on the rights to adapt the series into what is now Cretton’s Naruto Live Action film.
This news was confirmed at the Naruto and Boruto stage presentation at 2016’s Jump Festa event, which is also where news of Kishimoto’s involvement was first confirmed.
Naruto Live Action film has found its director, whose prior work made Kishimoto think he’d be “the perfect director”
As mentioned above, the latest news on the Naruto Live Action film confirmed that Destin Daniel Cretton will be directing and writing the project in collaboration with Kishimoot. About Cretton’s involvement, Kishimoto said:
“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. 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 Naruto. 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. To put it simply, the live-action Naruto is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can't help but be excited for it."
Cretton was quoted as saying meeting Kishimoto in Tokyo was a “true honor” and that the pair are “very excited to collaborate and bring Naruto to the big screen.”
Cretton is producing the film through his company Hisako alongside Jeyun Munford. Arad Productions’ Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Emi Yu are listed as producers, as is Jeremy Latcham.
It was reported in November 2023 that Tasha Huo was working on the script for the Naruto Live Action film and will likely continue to do so alongside Cretton and Kishimoto.
Outside of Huo and those also mentioned above, it's unclear if any other names previously attached to the project are still working on it as of this article’s writing.
Make sure to keep up with all Naruto franchise news, as well as general anime, manga, film and live-action news as 2024 progresses.
