Director Destin Daniel Cretton addressed fans at the Viz Media panel at New York Comic Con on October 10, sending a written statement confirming that the live-action Naruto film for Lionsgate is actively in development.
"When we kicked off our worldwide search for Team 7 this summer, I talked about what an honor it is to bring Kishimoto-sensei's incredible world and characters to life," Cretton said. "The further we get into making this film, the more excited I am about what we're creating."
The statement arrived as casting for the three core roles, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, remains open. The global search launched this past July. No timeline or release date has been set.
Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and this year's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, signed on to the project more than two years ago. He is co-writing the screenplay with Tasha Huo. Producers include Jeyun Munford, Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Emmy Yu, and Jeremy Latcham.
Masashi Kishimoto's manga ran for 700 chapters in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1999 to 2014 and has sold more than 250 million volumes in over 60 countries. Lionsgate first secured the live-action rights over a decade ago.
