Naruto Live-Action Movie to be Directed by "Shang-Chi" Director

The upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular anime "Naruto" is making progress, as the script has already been written!

This was confirmed by the original screenwriter Tasha Huo in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The new screenwriter and director Destin Daniel Cretton, known for his work on Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", has now taken over the direction of the "Naruto" film and developed his own version of the story. Huo praised Cretton's ability to tell emotional and personal stories and is completely convinced that the essence of "Naruto" is captured perfectly.

The story of Naruto originally began as a manga published by Masashi Kishimoto in 1997. This manga quickly became an international phenomenon and won millions of fans not only in Japan but also worldwide. A first adaptation as an anime series followed in 2002, which was likewise a great success and spawned multiple seasons and spin-offs. Naruto, the title character of the franchise, is an orphaned ninja who is excluded from his community due to a demonic creature that dwells within him. Despite this grim backstory, Naruto has become a favorite of viewers around the world for his remarkable personality and unwavering courage. From his spiky hair to his fondness for ramen, Naruto is a character that many fans have taken deeply into their hearts.

A movie adaptation was planned back in 2015, but Masashi Kishimoto was skeptical at the time: in his opinion, the Hollywood adaptations simply wouldn't get it right. However, the success of "One Piece" should have shown that there are another ways. In the meantime, it seems that he has changed his mind: In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Kishimoto explained that he thinks Cretton is the ideal choice to bring the world of Naruto to the big screen.

"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."

There is currently no exact release date for the "Naruto" live-action adaptation, but production continues to progress and fan anticipation just keeps growing.