After near ten years of radio silence, many a fan had assumed that Lionsgate had made the admittedly for-the-better decision to shunt its previously announced, live-action film adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto seminal Naruto manga off of their production slate and into the Pure Land.
Unfortunately, it seems nothing could have been further from the truth, as the studio has announced that the project, at least on its production side, has recently and finally begun to make moves.
Plans to translate the eventual Hokage’s adventures to the silver screen were first formally announced in 2015 courtesy of original Sony Spider-Man trilogy producer Avi Arad and his brother, Ari.
Set to be produced through their eponymous company, Arad Productions, and feature direct creative input from Kishimoto himself, the live-action film had originally been announced with The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey planted firmly in the director’s seat and The Witcher: Blood Origin screenwriter Tasha Huo assigned to provide its script.
However, this line-up would go through a major shake-up when, on February 23rd, 2024, it was announced via an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter that not only had both Gracey and Huo departed from the project, but also that both of their positions would reportedly be handed over to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Daniel Destin Cretton.
Notably, this change in directors would draw glowing praise from Kishimoto himself, who in a separate statement provided to the media beamed, “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,” the mangaka asserted. “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.”
(Interestingly, while Kishimoto did not specifically name which of Destin’s ‘blockbuster action films’ had convinced him of the director’s talent, given that it’s the only entry in his entire filmography which fits this classification, it seems the movie in question was none other than Shang-Chi.)
Finding himself likewise excited over the director’s attachment, Lionsgame Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson declared, “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.”
“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,” he added, “we are in extraordinary hands.”
As of writing, details as to the adaptation’s cast, plot points, or potential release window have yet to be shared with the public.
To this end, it is also currently unknown both whether Naruto is being developed as a single-entry outing or the beginning of a multi-film series as well as just how far into the manga’s original storyline this first film will take audiences.