Naruto Live-Action Film To Have Shang-Chi Director As The Director And Screenwriter
Kishimoto himself stated that Daniel Cretton is the PERFECT director to lead the Naruto live-action project after watching one of his films.
The official Naruto website announced, on Feb 24, 2024, that Lionsgate has taken Destin Daniel Cretton on board as the Naruto live-action film’s director, producer, and main screenwriter. He is well known for being the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The filmmaker commented on the announcement, revealing he had met Naruto manga’s original author, Masashi Kishimoto, in Japan and is looking forward to working with him on the project.
“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.”
In response, Kishimoto himself stated that Daniel Cretton is the PERFECT director to lead the Naruto live-action project after watching one of his films (probably Shang-Chi) and thought “There’s no other director for NARUTO than him”. He also CONFIRMED that Cretton is willing to fully hear his inputs and cooperate together in the film’s production process.
“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. 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. To put it simply, the live action NARUTO is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can’t help but be excited for it.”
The producers of the Naruto live-action film, Avi and Ari Arad, along with Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson had the following words to say:
<Avi and Ari Arad comments>
“NARUTO is one of the greatest manga ever written that has captivated hearts and minds globally. Collaborating with the legendary Kishimoto-san and the esteemed team at Shueisha has been a joy and an honor. We are beyond excited to have Destin at the helm, bringing this cherished saga to life under the Lionsgate banner.”
<Adam Fogelson comments>
“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.”
Earlier in Nov 2023, Variety had reported that the screenwriter for “The Witcher: Blood Origin” mini TV-series, Tasha Huo, will also be involved in the film’s screenwriting department.
Cretton is producing the film alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako. The director had previously collaborated with Lionsgate on the film The Glass Castle. The studio’s James Myers, who oversaw that project, will also oversee NARUTO, alongside Jon Humphrey.
About Naruto:
Naruto manga, written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, was serialized in Shueisha’s magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, from 1999 to 2014 and released in tankobon (book) form in 72 volumes.
Viz Media licensed the manga and anime for North American production and serialized Naruto in their digital Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
Naruto is one of the best-selling manga series in history, with 250 million copies in circulation worldwide in 47 countries and regions.
Out of this, 153 million copies were sold in Japan alone, and the remaining 97 million copies were sold worldwide.
Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo were responsible for producing the Naruto anime. It premiered in Japan on October 3, 2002, and concluded on February 8, 2007.
The anime aired 220 episodes in total.
Naruto: Shippuden, developed by Studio Pierrot, is the sequel to the original Naruto anime. Naruto: Shippuden adapts Part II of the manga.
The anime began on February 15, 2007, and ended on March 23, 2017.
Currently, the second part of the sequel “BORUTO” titled BORUTO -TWO BLUE VORTEX-” (original story and manga by Masashi Kishimoto, supervised by Mikio Ikemoto) is being serialized in V Jump.
Crunchyroll describes a short description of Naruto’s overall plot as follows:
The Village Hidden in the Leaves is home to the stealthiest ninja. But twelve years earlier, a fearsome Nine-tailed Fox terrorized the village before it was subdued and its spirit sealed within the body of a baby boy.
Source: Naruto’s Official Site
