The talks of a Naruto live-action movie first surfaced 8 years ago. The news was first reported by Variety back in July 2015, revealing that Lionsgate had signed The Greatest Showman Michael Gracey to direct this new adaptation. But since then, little to no updates have come out. That is, until Feb. 23, 2023.
With the emergence and subsequent popularity of the Netflix live-action adaptation of the widely beloved One Piece series, fans – the ones who are looking forward to it because some aren’t – regained a glimmer of hope that the Naruto movie could indeed still materialize on the big screen.
Is it finally, actually, truly, happening? Can we believe it?
The early clues about a Naruto movie and fans’ reactions to the possibility
On Nov. 22, 2023, Variety published an article listing “10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2023.” On this list was Tasha Huo, who was said to be working on various Naruto live-action scripts, with the article discussing the film as if it’s in active development.
From her social media, it is clear that Huo is a bit on the nerdy side – an adjective I use affectionately. She’s a fantasy nerd through and through, currently working as one of the producers and writers for Critical Role’s upcoming Mighty Nein series based on the group’s second live-streamed D&D campaign – she writes on her Twitter bio that she’s a “Cobalt Soul monk,” hinting at her involvement with the world created and nurtured by the mind of Matt Mercer.
This is relevant because, for a Naruto live-action screen adaptation, fans unanimously want professionals working on it who understand and are into the genre. In discussing a Naruto live-action series in the wake of Netflix’s One Piece, a fan wrote: “If they can find people who are passionate about the series instead of just doing it for a cash grab, maybe.” Which is a sentiment echoed by countless other netizens.
However, some fans are just not into the idea whatsoever. A highly voted Reddit comment expressed dissent and justified it by writing: “I don’t think Kishi would be as invested as Oda with a live-action.” This could very well be true, and if Masashi Kishimoto is not as present as Eiichiro Oda in the live-action production, it likely would show and fans have an eagle eye for inconsistencies that they don’t tend to let slide.
Another fan wrote:
It just goes to show how beloved Naruto is for so many all over the globe. That means the director, writers, producers, and every film executive involved have thousands upon thousands of eyes belonging to one of the largest fanbases in the anime world, judging them on how much justice they can do to the original Masashi Kishimoto series.
To live action or not to live action?
The Hollywood Reporter recently confirmed many fans’ suspicions: The Naruto movie is indeed happening. It’s going to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton for the Entertainment corporation Lionsgate (the same company from the announcement all those years back but with a different director helming the project). Cretton is known for helming the 2021 Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
It also seems that just like Eiichiro Oda did with Netflix’s One Piece, Kishimoto has also given the project his blessing. THR quoted him in a statement saying:
“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.”
This should reassure the fans who were on the fence about how to handle the prospect of an adaptation. As for those who may still feel unsure or downright aversed to the idea of a live-action movie, their only option is to sit back and let the collective effort and creative power of everyone working on this movie to either confirm their fears or change their minds.
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