As previously announced, Lionsgate is currently developing a Naruto live-action adaptation penned by Tasha Huo (Netflix’s upcoming Lara Croft). Huo has recently concluded work on Lara Croft and the upcoming Red Sonja film and has given fans a glimpse into what they can expect with her upcoming adaptations. The Naruto live-action does not have a current release date.
“Adapting iconic characters or IP makes the writing of it easier, because the passion for writing it is already there,” Huo says. “I’m so inspired by these characters already that it’s exciting to just take a part of their journey and try to tell that fun story in a way that would appeal to me as a fan.” As a fan of Gladiator by director Ridley Scott, she enjoys using big spectacles to tell human stories. She also cites Baz Luhrmann, J.J. Abrams, and Mik as her influences.
The Naruto live-action movie has been in development by Lionsgate and Arad Productions since 2015. The film sat on their upcoming slate for a number of years before they reiterated that it was still in active development in 2021. In 2023, Lionsgate announced the movie was now being fast-tracked. Naruto manga creator Masashi Kishimoto is co-developing the film.
Kishimoto’s Naruto manga was collected into 72 volumes from 1999 to 2014 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The series is one of the best-selling manga of all time with over 250mn copies in circulation. 2024 is set to be a big year for the series, with likely updates of the live-action movie expected as well as the delayed 4-episode specials. The series will join its fellow Shonen Jump manga One Piece and Yu Yu Hakusho in receiving live-action adaptations.
Source: Variety
Featured image: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto, Scott / Shueisha, TV Tokyo, Pierrot