The Hollywood live-action adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga “Naruto” is officially moving into production, with studio Lionsgate launching a worldwide casting search for the story’s three central characters: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The project has been in development since it was first announced in 2016, with Lionsgate handling production. Destin Daniel Cretton, director of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and the upcoming “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” was confirmed as director in 2024. Pre-production is now underway, and casting will begin with the core trio before expanding to other characters in the story.
Cretton shared the news on social media, writing that Kishimoto’s story “has inspired generations of fans around the world” and that he felt honored to bring its world and characters to the big screen for the first time in live action. He added that the global casting search for the members of “Team 7” was now beginning.
Kishimoto also posted about the milestone, saying that “miracle after miracle” has been happening to him lately — first the news that “Naruto” would truly become a Hollywood film, and then learning that Cretton himself would direct it, which he said he still could not quite believe. He added that he was looking forward to meeting the passionate actors who would be cast, and that he could not wait to see the characters brought to life.
Who is Masashi Kishimoto?
Masashi Kishimoto is the Japanese manga artist who created “Naruto,” the story of an outcast ninja, Naruto Uzumaki, growing up in the Hidden Leaf Village. The manga launched in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999 and became a global hit, with an anime adaptation following in 2002. Kishimoto concluded the original series in 2014, and a sequel, “Boruto,” illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto, has continued the story in V Jump. “Naruto” is considered one of the best-selling manga series of all time and remains one of the most recognizable anime franchises internationally.
No casting details or release timeline have been announced yet, though further updates are expected as the worldwide search progresses.
