As previously announced, Naruto is headed to Hollywood with a live-action adaptation by Lionsgate, and we now officially know who the creative mind behind the adaptation will be. Destin Daniel Cretton will be directing and writing the script. Cretton is best known for his work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Cretton is also producing, alongside Jeyun Munford (Hisako), Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu. Although previous reports indicated that Tasha Huo will be directing, there is no mention of her in the announcement article by Hollywood Reporter.
The Naruto franchise is based on a manga written by Masashi Kishi. It began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump in September 1999 and ran for 15 years, until November 2014. A total of 72 volumes have been published. Studio Pierrot animated the adaptation, which premiered in October 2002. The anime was followed by a sequel titled Naruto Shippuden, which had a total of 500 episodes. The franchise spawned multiple games, merchandise, and 11 movies, making the Naruto series one of the most successful of all time.
With the official confirmation for the live-action Hollywood adaptation, Naruto joins the ranks of Death Note (which has another project in the works) Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball, and One Piece to some extent. Out of these titles, only One Piece adaptation was well-received: others had mixed reviews at best and raised questions about Hollywood’s ability to properly adapt manga and anime content. Death Note.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
© Masashi Kishimoto, Scott / Shueisha, TV Tokyo, Pierrot