Lionsgate has opened a global casting search for its live-action Naruto film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. The studio is seeking three actors to fill the roles of Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno.
Cretton announced the search with a statement that framed the project in terms of a generational opportunity. "Kishimoto-sensei's stories have inspired generations of fans around the world, and it's an honor to bring his world and characters to the big screen in live action for the very first time," he said. Kishimoto responded: "Right now, miracles are happening to me, one after another. My work, NARUTO, is truly, truly becoming a Hollywood movie!"
Kishimoto's original manga ran from 1999 to 2014, collected across 72 volumes with more than 250 million copies sold worldwide. The series became one of the defining works of its era, spawning a long-running animated series, animated films, and the spinoff Boruto, which has continued the world for a second generation of readers.
Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings for Marvel, was attached to the Naruto adaptation in 2024. The worldwide casting call, announced July 9 according to The Wrap, marks the project's most visible step toward production. A start date has not been announced.