In the world of anime and pop culture in general, there are not many series that have received more global attention and recognition than Naruto. Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto and published in Weekly Shonen Jump, Naruto has become the greatest Ninja story of all time, and although its anime ended in 2017, a massive new project for the Naruto series is underway, and it will officially bring the series back. This new project is a Naruto live action movie.
While many fans have mixed feelings about Naruto's come back with a live-action one, one thing we can say for sure is that it will bring massive exposure and spark a revival of the IP. Ahead of such a big return, creator Kishimoto has released a new message to fans, filled with excitement for what's to come.
Masashi Kishimoto releases new message ahead of Naruto's return with 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 manga series both in Japan and around the world. Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist, has become one of the global faces of anime, and it's all thanks to the incredible manga created by Kishimoto, which ran in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1999 and 2014. The Naruto manga was huge, and the anime by Studio Pierrot, 2 was definitely popular from 200107. Now, in 2026, another massive project is coming in the form of the movie Naruto – a live-action adaptation of this iconic story. On July 11, 2026, the casting for this film was officially announced, and with it Masashi Kishimoto, the creator, revealed his thoughts on the live action project.
We're all excited about this movie, and so is Kishimoto, the one who created this world and characters. Kishimoto's comments were posted on the official Naruto website. In this new message, he said he was over the moon to see his series brought to Hollywood. He reveals that this film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and that he can't wait to discover the actor who will bring his characters to life. Here is his full message:
“Right now, miracles are happening to me, one after another. My work, Naruto, is really becoming a Hollywood movie! And an even bigger miracle is that the film will be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton. I still can't believe it! If so many miracles have already been collected, then let's hope for even more. I am eager to meet the ordinary passionate and passionate who will bring us forward to the ordinary passions actors I can't wait to meet my characters in the movie!—Kishimoto's New Message, July 11, 2026
With the film focusing on the world of Naruto, we expect Kishimoto to have a big hand in the upcoming project. Being a retired Mangaka, Kishimoto definitely has the time to play an active role in this project, much more than other creators, which will definitely only enhance the story.
Everything We Know About Live Action “Naruto the Movie” So Far
Naruto The Movie was just announced today, and it will be the first live-action adaptation of Naruto. Fans are naturally wondering why this project was announced now, and this could simply be due to the massive success of another Weekly Shonen Jump manga's live action adaptation — One Pieceby Netflix. Anyway, even though this project was just presented to us, we already have some information about it. First, it is produced by Lionsgate and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Cretton is particularly known for his work on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so we're excited to see what he does with Naruto.
It must be said that this film is still in the very early stages of production. First, the main characters have not yet been cast, and the process is currently underway to find the perfect fit for the characters of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Naruto's official site specifically mentions a “global casting search for the three young shinobi of Team 7,” leading many to believe that this movie will be about Naruto's early days, before the time jump.
Since the movie is still in pre-production, we don't know when it will release, but undoubtedly its release is still not around. Typically, live-action movies can take a year after filming begins to release. Since the actors haven't even been cast yet, we're anticipating at least a two-year wait, finalizing a release date of 2028 at the earliest. New updates should appear by the end of the year, especially around big events like Jump Festa 2027.
Source: Naruto Official Website
