Naruto Creator Gives Blessing to Hollywood’s Live-Action Adaption

The time has finally arrived for Naruto to join the likes of One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, and Alita: Battle Angel in receiving a live-action adaptation. While there has been news in the past regarding Lionsgate’s attempts at taking the Hidden Leaf Village and bringing it to the silver screen, a major new piece of information has arrived for shonen fans. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton will bring the franchise to Hollywood, and Masashi Kishimoto has nothing but good things to say about the upcoming project.

Masashi Kishimoto, for those who might want a refresher, unveiled the first chapter of Naruto in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999. Since then, the ninja world has taken the real world by storm, forging an anime empire via anime television series, movies, merchandise, and too many other elements to count. Currently, Naruto’s son, Boruto, has taken the helm of the series in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the second storyline focusing on the son of the Seventh Hokage. Should the live-action Naruto movie be a hit, perhaps Boruto will get his chance in the world of Hollywood. 

Masashi Kishimoto Gives Naruto Live-Action a Thumbs Up

Here’s what the mangaka had to say about the upcoming live-action Naruto movie, “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 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.”

Aside from Destin’s involvement, Lionsgate hasn’t released news on a potential release date or cast attached to the live-action film. With decades of stories under the shonen franchise’s belt, there are more than enough characters, battles, and ninjutsu to fit in a Hollywood production.

Do you think Naruto’s live-action movie can live up to the source material? Which anime franchise do you think can work in Hollywood? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Konoha. 

Via THR