The iconic manga and anime juggernaut Naruto is slated to receive the live-action treatment from Lionsgate. The studio has brought on director Destin Daniel Cretton to helm the long-in-development film adaptation. Fans are reacting to the news with cautious optimism rather than outright enthusiasm though, and for good reason.
Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto chronicles the adventures of its titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja known for his enthusiasm and mischievousness. First debuting as a manga in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1999, Naruto quickly became a worldwide phenomenon over its 15-year serialization run. To date, the Naruto manga has sold over 250 million copies worldwide across more than 60 countries.
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The massive popularity of the Naruto manga spawned several anime adaptations over the years. The Naruto anime franchise has aired internationally on networks like Cartoon Network, Disney XD, and Adult Swim, further expanding the fanbase of the Naruto series into the tens of millions. Without a doubt, Naruto is one of the most beloved and recognized manga/anime franchises globally.
Hollywood’s history adapting beloved anime into live-action has been littered with misfires like Dragonball Evolution, Speed Racer, and Netflix’s recent outings in Death Note and Cowboy Bebop. So Naruto fans have justification for some hesitancy around Lionsgate’s ambitious project.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, “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. Avi and I have had the pleasure of working together before and I know that as we collaborate with Destin and the team on Naruto, we are in extraordinary hands.”
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That’s not to say the talent Lionsgate brings in doesn’t inspire some confidence. Cretton had a turbulent 2021 directing the not-so-well-received Marvel entry Shang-Chi. Through the experience, however, he’s shown he can handle large-scale action scenes alongside nuanced character drama (no matter how mundane the material). Producer Avi Arad has shepherded successful, fan-pleasing comic book adaptations like Spider-Man and Blade under his belt; so the keeping to source material might take precedent (hopefully).
Furthermore, original Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto has given his blessing to Cretton. But even with the manga author’s stamp of approval, the worry remains whether the magic of Naruto will truly translate from animation to live-action.
“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,” said Kishimoto in a statement. “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.”
Lionsgate seems confident that Cretton’s “vision for the movie” will do right by the legions of Naruto devotees, but those fans will likely remain cautious following the rocky track record of anime-to-live-action works.
It’s an enormous challenge bringing to life the dynamic ninja battles, dazzling special moves, and outlandish summoning creatures that Naruto fans have come to love. The episodic, winding narrative spanning over 700 manga chapters and 500 anime episodes will also be difficult to condense into a feature film structure. Miscastings have hampered many Hollywood anime adaptations in the past. So there’s understandable concern about finding actors to embody the personalities of beloved characters like Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi.
The passion behind this skepticism comes from a place of love though. Fans simply yearn to see the fantastical world of Naruto fully realized in live-action. So while some hesitation persists in the early going, here’s hoping Cretton and Lionsgate can pull off this monumental undertaking.
What do you think about a live-action Naruto Movie? Is it a good idea or something you would like to see? Let us know in the comments!
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