Director Destin Daniel Cretton is officially adapting Masashi Kishimoto’s manga and anime franchise Naruto for Lionsgate, setting production to begin in early 2027. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cretton committed to the project prior to helming Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day, leaving his schedule open after a planned second season of Wonder Man was canceled and the directorial reins for the next Avengers films went to the Russo brothers.
The upcoming live-action adaptation pairs Cretton with the studio behind franchises like John Wick and The Hunger Games. Speaking about his connection to the source material, Cretton explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the story’s themes deeply resonated with his background. “The trajectory of Naruto, his sense of being an outcast, the feeling of harboring a ugliness, a monster, or some part of oneself that one is ashamed of, only to realize that that is precisely the part that makes him unique and gives him his power,” Cretton said.
The Origins and Plot of Naruto
Created by Masashi Kishimoto in 1999—following an initial one-shot published in 1996—Naruto follows the journey of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village. Naruto harbors ambitions of becoming the Hokage, the leader and protector of his community. However, fellow villagers shun him because he houses the Nine-Tailed Fox, a powerful beast that attacked the settlement years prior.
Throughout the narrative, Naruto trains alongside teammates Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno under the mentorship of Kakashi. The plot spans intense missions, formidable adversaries, and deep bonds of friendship before expanding into global ninja conflicts in the sequel series Naruto Shippuden. The original manga ran from 1999 to 2014, spanning 700 chapters collected across 72 volumes. Its companion anime adaptation ran for 220 episodes, followed by 500 episodes of Shippuden.
Production Timeline and Cinematic Context
Cretton enters the Lionsgate production following work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, slated for a theatrical release on July 31, 2026. Promotional material released by the official Spider-Man movie channels featured a new poster highlighting Tom Holland as Peter Parker alongside production insights shared by Holland and Cretton. Holland praised the action and stunt work filmed in New York City, telling audiences that the action style aims to make them “feel part of the movie.”
Lionsgate has not yet announced a specific release window beyond the early 2027 production start date.
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