Destin Daniel-Cretton set to direct live-action ‘Naruto’ film
Another live-action film adaptation of a popular manga is in the works, with Destin Daniel-Cretton set to write and direct a Naruto movie.
Created by Masashi Kishimoto, the source material has shifted over 250 million copies since its debut in 1999, spawning a multimedia empire that’s covered feature-length movies, episodic animated shows, video games, and plenty more besides.
No stranger to a big budget fantasy after directing Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and developing, executive producing, and helming the first and last episodes of Disney+ graphic novel adaptation American Born Chinese, the filmmaker outlined his excitement for the project.
“It was a true honour to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation,” he said to Variety. “We are very excited to collaborate and bring Naruto to the big screen.” The originator was thrilled at the choice of directing, outlining his excitement at having Daniel-Cretton steering the ship.
“When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto.” Kishimoto explained. “After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for Naruto.”
“In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process,” he continued. “To put it simply, the live-action Naruto is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can’t help but be excited for it.”
A Naruto movie has been in various stages of development since 2015, but with Daniel-Cretton at the helm, it’s finally gaining some serious traction that comes with the seal of approval from its creator.
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