After years of announcements, speculation and fan discussions, the live-action Naruto movie is taking another important step toward becoming a reality.
Sony Pictures has officially joined Lionsgate to co-finance and distribute the upcoming adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s globally popular manga and anime franchise.
The film will be written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the filmmaker behind Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Under the new arrangement, Sony will handle international distribution, while Lionsgate continues overseeing the film’s development, production and domestic release.
And there is finally a production window.
According to the announcement reported on November 3, filming is expected to begin in spring 2027.
For Naruto fans, this represents meaningful progress on a project that has spent years in development.
The original story follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who grows up facing rejection from his village but dreams of becoming Hokage, its most respected leader.
Since its manga debut in 1999, Naruto has become one of the most recognizable franchises in Japanese entertainment, inspiring anime adaptations, films, video games and an enormous international fan community.
But bringing that world into live action comes with a significant challenge.
From its supernatural fighting techniques and unusual character designs to the emotional relationships that make the story memorable, Naruto has a visual identity that fans know extremely well.
Hollywood’s relationship with anime adaptations has also been complicated, although productions such as Netflix’s One Piece have demonstrated that successful adaptations are possible.
For now, the cast, official release date and detailed storyline remain unannounced.
Still, a new distribution partnership and a planned filming window suggest that Naruto’s journey from animation to live-action cinema is becoming more concrete.
The next major question is one fans will undoubtedly have opinions about: who should play Naruto?
