Posted in: Lionsgate, Movies | Tagged: destin daniel cretton, naruto

Destin Daniel Cretton Will Direct And Write A Naruto Movie

Destin Daniel Cretton will write and direct a Naruto movie for Lionsgate. The movie has reportedly in varying levels of development since 2015.

On the day that Netflix dropped yet another bad live-action adaptation of an animated classic, Lionsgate decided it was time to announce that it has a writer and director for the big-screen adaptation of Naruto. You knew about Naruto on some level if you spent time running around in the manga and anime circles in the late '90s to early 2000s. You might have read the first few volumes of the manga while sitting on the floor of a Barnes and Noble, or maybe you downloaded a dodgy torrent of the anime with subtitles that didn't always line up, but you knew it existed. The manga, created by Masashi Kishimoto, ran from 1999 to 2014, and more than a few television shows have been released since then. However, apparently, since 2015, Lionsgate has been working on a movie adaptation of the story, and they finally found a director and writer, Destin Daniel Cretton, according to a press release put out by Lionsgate.

"It was a true honor to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation," stated Cretton. "We are very excited to collaborate and bring NARUTO to the big screen."

Masashi Kishimoto said, "When I heard of Destin's attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for NARUTO. After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for NARUTO. In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process. To put it simply, the live-action NARUTO is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can't help but be excited for it."

Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said, "This manga classic is beloved by millions of fans all around the world, and Destin has delivered a vision for the movie that we believe will excite that massive fan base as well as those who are new to it. Avi and I have had the pleasure of working together before, and I know that as we collaborate with Destin and the team on NARUTO, we are in extraordinary hands."

"NARUTO is one of the greatest manga ever written that has captivated hearts and minds globally," said producers Avi and Ari Arad. "Collaborating with the legendary Kishimoto-san and the esteemed team at Shueisha has been a joy and an honor. We are beyond excited to have Destin at the helm, bringing this cherished saga to life under the Lionsgate banner."

At the moment, we don't know much else about the production. Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu will produce for Arad Productions with Jeremy Latcham. Cretton is producing alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako.

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