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Sony Partners With Lionsgate on Destin Daniel Cretton’s ‘Naruto’ Movie
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The live-action adaptation of the popular manga has been greenlit to start production in spring 2027.



The deal, which came after competitive, multi-studio bidding, will see Sony co-finance the movie and take on international distribution of the live-action feature film that is based on the manga by Masashi Kishimoto that grew into a global entertainment brand.

Lionsgate has now officially greenlit the project, which is the follow-up feature for Destin Daniel Cretton, who his coming off the $2.5 billion success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Cretton is writing the script and will direct and produce. Production slated to begin in spring 2027, with Lionsgate continuing to oversee the film’s development and production and handle domestic distribution.
That Sony’s motion picture group, headed by Tom Rothman, would come out on top seems almost pre-ordained. Cretton in September signed a three-year first-look producing deal with the studio, signaling a strong relationship with his Brand New Day partner. And Sony, which is headquartered in Japan, is also the home of Crunchyroll, the popular and arguably largest streaming service that focuses on anime.

“With their deep expertise in manga and anime and global distribution prowess, Sony Pictures is a perfect partner for Naruto, and we’re thrilled to join forces with Tom Rothman and his team to bring this extraordinary property to audiences around the world,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson in a statement. “We share an enormous ambition for Naruto and a commitment to making this a truly global cinematic event that stays true to what millions of existing fans love and invites so many more to embrace what makes it truly special.



Fogelson added, “I’m tremendously proud of Erin Westerman and James Myers for their work developing this film and bringing Destin aboard, and of Helen Lee-Kim for securing Sony as our international partner. Ari Arad, Tetsu Fujimura, and our producing team also deserve huge thanks for their hard work and support.”

Stated Rothman, Sony’s Motion Picture Group CEO and chairman, “Lionsgate has done a masterful job in putting together an A-level adaptation, and we are honored to be chosen as their partner. Not to mention, we had a sweet success this summer with Destin and are delighted to be back in his capable hands.”

Naruto is the coming-of-age story of a young and enthusiastic ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who wants to grow up to be the leader of his ninja village but also happens to have the spirit of a nine-tailed demon fox inside him. The story was serialized in Japan’s popular Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014 and later spawned a couple of popular animated series that ran for years on Cartoon Network and Disney XD.

Naruto sits in a rarefied tier of entertainment properties that have achieved an extraordinary global reach, enduring popularity, and cultural impact. Kishimoto’s manga has sold more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and territories, growing into a multibillion-dollar franchise. The anime adaptation has reached audiences in more than 145 countries and territories.

“As a longtime fan of Naruto, I’ve always loved that beneath the extraordinary action is a story filled with heart, humor, and humanity. Kishimoto-sensei created a world where unlikely heroes do extraordinary things, and that’s what makes it so special,” said Cretton in a statement. “Lionsgate has been an incredible partner, and I’m thrilled to reunite with the fantastic team at Sony. Together, we’re committed to capturing everything fans love about Naruto while introducing it to a whole new generation.

Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Emmy Yu are producing for Arad Productions. Cretton is producing alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako.

Charles Melton is the only actor revolving around the project at this stage and is in talks to play Kakashi Hatake, the elite ninja mentor figure to the main character and his friends. The search for the actor to inhabit Naruto is currently underway.

Erin Westerman and James Myers are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.
 
Say, Tamstrong? Your body is ready for this? Revisiting Hyrule once more?

I'm ready to play, and I'm sure my body will be ready to sit in the recliner while I do. :p I'm already a pretty regular visitor to Hyrule, and I'm especially excited for this visit.
 
That's good to hear.

Hmm...I hadn't noticed anything about a mobile version, but I wasn't looking for it either. lol I've had a homescreen shortcut on my phone for years though. I don't know of any plans regarding an app, so Webbie would be the one to ask about that.
The format, at least on my end, is very user friendly. Prior to that, it was stuck on Desktop mode, or rather, a barebone version.

By the way, Tam? Are you picking up The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake? It is very promising and looks incredible!
 
I'm ready to play, and I'm sure my body will be ready to sit in the recliner while I do. :p I'm already a pretty regular visitor to Hyrule, and I'm especially excited for this visit.
Oh, I have yet gotten my Switch 2, but my Sam's Club Sam's Cash is looking heavy and I can spend some for this year. But, my Switch backlog is already filled to the brim and I am trying to get through my whole catalog.
 
The format, at least on my end, is very user friendly. Prior to that, it was stuck on Desktop mode, or rather, a barebone version.

By the way, Tam? Are you picking up The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake? It is very promising and looks incredible!
Welcome back! I think both @Tamstrong and I have already pre-ordered. My weekend is already going to be booked solid.
 
The format, at least on my end, is very user friendly. Prior to that, it was stuck on Desktop mode, or rather, a barebone version.

By the way, Tam? Are you picking up The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake? It is very promising and looks incredible!

It sounds like there was much room for improvement if that's where it was before. I guess I was lucky on my end, because I've been happy with mine.

My son surprised me and dropped off while on his lunch break, so it was on my desk waiting for me when I got home from work. I'd be playing right now if my controller wasn't dead. I did connect it to the charger this morning, but unfortunately it doesn't work if the other end isn't plugged in too. :upside_down:
 
It sounds like there was much room for improvement if that's where it was before. I guess I was lucky on my end, because I've been happy with mine.

My son surprised me and dropped off while on his lunch break, so it was on my desk waiting for me when I got home from work. I'd be playing right now if my controller wasn't dead. I did connect it to the charger this morning, but unfortunately it doesn't work if the other end isn't plugged in too. :upside_down:
I plugged mine this morning before I left. And came home to a very well-timed Amazon package.

So far, the remake is great! It feels the same as the original but so much more modern. Even the small quality of life stuff is great.
 
I plugged mine this morning before I left. And came home to a very well-timed Amazon package.

So far, the remake is great! It feels the same as the original but so much more modern. Even the small quality of life stuff is great.

Yep. I've been enjoying it so far. It feels familiar but not too familiar, if that makes any sense. I'm loving the details, the controls are easy to navigate, and the way they've gone about the voice acting isn't as annoying as it seemed to be in the trailer.
 
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