In the world of animation and pop culture in general, few series have garnered more global attention and recognition than this one. naruto. A work written by Masashi Kishimoto and serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. naruto The series has become the biggest ninja story in history, and although the anime ended in 2017, a new large-scale project is in the works for the Naruto franchise, officially bringing the series back. This new project naruto Live action movie.
Although many fans have mixed feelings about this Naruto's One thing we can say for sure if it returns to live action is that it will bring massive exposure and spark a resurgence for the IP. Ahead of this grand return, creator Kishimoto shared a new message for fans filled with excitement for what's to come.
Masashi Kishimoto delivers a new message ahead of Naruto's return in a live-action film.
In the world of entertainment, Naruto is one of the biggest IPs and one of the most successful and recognizable anime cartoon series in Japan and around the world. The protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, has become one of the global faces of anime. This is all thanks to the amazing manga produced by Kishimoto, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014. The Naruto manga was huge, and the animation produced by Studio Pierrot from 2002 to 2017 certainly helped popularize the manga. Now, in 2026, another big project is coming: the Naruto movie, a live-action adaptation of this iconic story. On July 11, 2026, the film's casting was officially announced, with producer Masashi Kishimoto giving his thoughts on the live-action project.
We're all looking forward to this movie, and so is Kishimoto, who created this world and characters. Kishimoto's remarks were posted on Naruto's official website. In this new message, he said he was thrilled to see his series coming to Hollywood. He revealed that the film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and that he can't wait to find a cast member to bring his character to life. His full message follows:
“Miracles are happening to me one after another right now. My work, Naruto, is truly becoming a Hollywood movie! And an even bigger miracle is that this movie will be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton. I still can’t believe it. If there have been so many miracles already, let’s hope for more miracles. I’m looking forward to the miraculous meeting that these extraordinary and passionate actors will create. I can’t wait to meet the characters in the movie!” — Kishimoto's new message, July 11, 2026
As the movie focuses on the world of Naruto, Kishimoto is expected to play a big role in this project. As a retired manga artist, Kishimoto certainly has time to take a much more active role in this project than other creators, which will certainly enhance the story.
Everything we know so far about the live-action 'Naruto' movie
The Naruto movie was just announced today, and it will be Naruto's first live-action film. Fans are naturally wondering why this project was announced now, and it may simply be because the live-action adaptation of another Weekly Shonen Jump manga has been a huge success. one pieceOn Netflix. Either way, even though this project has just been revealed to us, we already have some information about it. First of all, it is produced by Lionsgate and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Cretton is especially known for his work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so I'm excited to see what he does with Naruto.
I would say this movie is still in the early stages of production. First of all, the main characters have not been cast yet and the process of finding the perfect fit for the characters of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura is currently underway. The official Naruto site specifically mentions a “global casting search for three young shinobi from Team 7,” leading many to believe that the film is about Naruto's early days before the timeskip.
Since the movie is still in pre-production, there's no telling when it will be released, but there's no doubt that it's not far away. Typically, a live-action film takes a year to complete after filming begins. As the actors have not yet been cast, a wait of at least two years is expected, and the release date is expected to be confirmed as early as 2028. New updates are expected to be released by the end of the year, especially through large-scale events such as Jump Festa 2027.
Source: Naruto official website
