“Naruto” remains the final member of the “Big Three” yet to receive a live-action adaptation — but that may soon change.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, Lionsgate intends to begin production on a “Naruto” feature in 2026, once director Destin Daniel Cretton completes work on “Spider-Man: A New Day.” Filming was previously expected to start much later because of the director’s packed schedule, but sources say preliminary casting preparations are already underway.
Cretton — who also directed “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” — officially took the helm in 2024 and is handling both directing and screenplay duties. Before him, Tasha Huo worked on the adaptation; her name has recently been associated with a string of poorly received projects, including “Red Sonja” and an anime-styled “Tomb Raider.”
Efforts to bring Masashi Kishimoto’s story to the big screen have been discussed for nearly a decade. The project first surfaced in 2015, when Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) was attached as director. Over the years “Naruto” has intermittently appeared on Lionsgate’s slate before fading from the studio’s active reports.
If everything proceeds smoothly, principal photography could begin in the autumn of 2026 and run for several months — which would put a theatrical release no later than 2028.
“Naruto” is part of the so-called “Big Three” of Japanese franchises, alongside “Bleach” and “One Piece.” Of those three, only the tale of the orange-haired ninja has yet to receive a full-length live-action adaptation: “Bleach” had a live-action film back in 2018, while “One Piece” recently achieved notable success on Netflix.
Source: iXBT.games