The talks of a Naruto live-action movie first surfaced 8 years ago.
The news was reported by Variety back in July 2015, revealing that Lionsgate had signed The Greatest Showman Michael Gracey to direct this new adaptation. But since then, little to no updates have come out.
With the emergence and subsequent popularity of the Netflix live-action adaptation of the widely beloved One Piece series, fans – the ones who are looking forward to it, some aren’t – regained a glimmer of hope that the Naruto movie could indeed still be happening.
And although we haven’t gotten anything too major or concrete, the possibility seems to still be very much real and on the table.
To live action or not to live action
On Nov. 22, 2023, Variety published an article listing “10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2023.” On this list is Tasha Huo, who they list as working on various Naruto live-action scripts, with the article discussing the film as if it’s in active development.
From her social media, it is clear that Huo is a bit on the nerdy side – an adjective I use affectionately. She’s a fantasy nerd through and through, currently working as one of the producers and writers for Critical Role’s upcoming Mighty Nein series based on the group’s second live-streamed D&D campaign – she writes on her Twitter bio that she’s a “Cobalt Soul monk” hinting at her involvement with the world created and nurtured by the mind of Matt Mercer.
This is relevant because, for a Naruto live-action screen adaptation, fans unanimously want professionals working on it who understand and are into the genre. In discussing a Naruto live-action series in the wake of Netflix’s One Piece, a fan wrote: “If they can find people who are passionate about the series instead of just doing it for a cash grab, maybe.” Which is a sentiment echoed by countless other netizens.
However, some fans are just not into the idea whatsoever. A highly voted Reddit comment expressed dissent and justified it by writing: “I don’t think Kishi would be as invested as Oda with a live-action.” This could very well be true, and if Masashi Kishimoto is not as present as Eiichiro Oda in the live-action production, it likely would show and fans have an eagle eye for inconsistencies that they don’t tend to let slide.
Another fan wrote:
It just goes to show how beloved Naruto is for so many all over the globe. Therefore, if the adaptation is indeed moving forward as it seems to be, the ones in charge need to be mindful to treat it with all the care and passion in the universe. Believe it.
