Live-action anime adaptations are nothing new as of late, with Netflix diving into franchises including One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Yu Yu Hakusho. In a surprising twist, not only has Naruto been confirmed to be getting his own live-action Hollywood movie, but a big director is attached. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is attached for this brand new take on Konoha and the ninja world for Lionsgate.
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Cretton won’t just be working on the directorial duties for the live-action Naruto, as he will also be producing and writing the new journey into the Hidden Leaf. Joining the Shang-Chi director will be producer Jeyun Munford, as the team will be a part of Arad Productions, which is made up of Hollywood creators such as Avi Ara, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu.
Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto had the following to say about the project, “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.”
Lionsgate Motion PIcture Group’s top chair, Adam Fogelson, had the following to say about the upcoming live-action anime adaptation, “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, we are in extraordinary hands.”
What do you think of the idea of a live-action Naruto? Do you think Lionsgate can pull off the right jutsu to make the world of Konoha work on the silver screen? 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 the Hidden Leaf Village.