Anime fans were stunned this week when Lionsgate Pictures announced that the director of Shang-Chi, Destin Daniel Cretton, would be taking on the world of Naruto Uzumaki in a new live-action film. Destin won’t just be the director of the upcoming live-action anime adaptation but will also take on the roles of writer and producer. Traveling to Japan to get the approval of franchise creator Masashi Kishimoto, Cretton has revealed his excitement when it comes to bringing Naruto and his fellow ninjas to the “real world” for the first time.
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Cretton isn’t just known for the upcoming live-action take on the ninja world and Marvel’s Shang-Chi. The director has created critically acclaimed movies in the past including Short Term 12, Just Mercy, and The Glass Castle. When it comes to returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Destin is planning to create a sequel to Shang-Chi while also helping to create the television series focusing on the Avengers’ most “ionic” member, Wonder Man.
Destin is Ready To Begin The Naruto Cinematic Universe
Cretton had a one-on-one conversation with Kishimoto to make sure that the mangaka was on board with bringing Naruto to live-action. Here’s how the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi described the experience, along with working on the story of Konoha, “It was a true honor to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation. We are very excited to collaborate and bring Naruto to the big screen.”
It’s hard to deny that Netflix’s successful One Piece didn’t have some role in opening the floodgates for live-action anime adaptations. While there have certainly been some controversial live-action anime adaptations in the past, including Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball Evolution, and Ghost in The Shell, Hollywood studios aim to buck the trend. There has yet to be any live-action adaptation of Naruto despite its decades-long history in the world of anime, so anime fans are definitely interested in seeing if the ninja world can be brought to life successfully.
Do you think Hollywood will successfully nail a live-action ninja world? Which anime franchises do you think might work with a live-action television series and/or movie in the future? 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.
