Lionsgate’s Live-Action Naruto Moves Into Active Pre-Production
Creator Masashi Kishimoto's reported involvement with director Destin Daniel Cretton attached sharpens the project's focus on adapting Team 7's first mission for a single, global-cast feature.
Overview
- Reports published late September 2026 say the film is in active pre-production with Destin Daniel Cretton set to direct, co-write, and co-produce and Masashi Kishimoto reported to be involved.
- A circulated synopsis described the story as set in an "alternate universe" and following Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura on their first mission, a description many outlets say points to the early Land of Waves arc.
- Lionsgate and casting producers have launched a global search for the three young leads and issued a second youth-focused call seeking 13–15 year olds for Naruto and Sakura, with no official cast announced.
- Production notices and media reports list a January–August 2027 commitment window and place principal photography in the United Kingdom beginning in early 2027, though no release date has been set.
- Some casting claims, including an unverified report linking Charles Melton to Kakashi, remain unconfirmed and officials say the project's alternate-universe label could signal deliberate changes to age, continuity, or story compression for a single-film format.