The long-awaited Naruto live-action movie took a major step toward production with the official announcement of the start of global casting to choose the protagonists of the story created by Masashi Kishimoto.
The Lionsgate studio reported that it has opened auditions to find the actors who will play Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno, the three members of the iconic Team 7. The call is aimed at young talent from different parts of the world, while the selection process for the rest of the cast will be carried out at a later stage.
The adaptation will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, a filmmaker known for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, who expressed his excitement about bringing the Naruto ninja universe to the big screen in live-action format for the first time.
“Kishimoto’s stories have inspired generations of fans around the world and it is an honor to bring that universe to the cinema,” stated the director, who also highlighted the excitement of discovering the actors who will bring the iconic characters to life.
For his part, Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the manga, stated that he feels excited about the progress of the project, which remained in development for years. The author noted that the adaptation has been possible thanks to a series of “miracles” and expressed his confidence that the casting will allow for finding performers capable of reflecting the essence of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
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The project was originally announced in 2015, but remained without updates for several years. In 2024, Lionsgate officially confirmed Cretton as director, reactivating the development of one of the most anticipated adaptations by fans of the popular manga and anime.
Although the release date has not yet been revealed, the start of the casting process marks the beginning of a new stage for a production that seeks to bring one of the most successful anime franchises to Hollywood cinema.
