Lionsgate has announced that Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, will write and direct a live-action film based on the popular manga series Naruto. The film will be produced by Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Emmy Yu, Jeremy Latcham, Cretton, and Jeyun Munford.
Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, follows the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who dreams of becoming the leader and protector of his village. The manga has sold over 250 million copies worldwide and inspired a long-running anime series.
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Kishimoto expressed his support for Cretton’s involvement: “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.”
Cretton also added, “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.”
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Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson is confident that Cretton’s adaptation will resonate with both existing fans and new audiences: “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.”
