‘Naruto’ Movie Launches Global Casting Search to Find Actors to Play Live-Action Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura
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- Lionsgate is backing the live-action Naruto movie and opened a worldwide casting search to fill the three Team 7 roles of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, with additional supporting casting to follow.
- Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is writing and directing the adaptation, calling it an honor to bring Kishimoto's world to the big screen in live action for the first time.
- Masashi Kishimoto said his work is "truly becoming a Hollywood movie" and expressed eagerness to meet the actors who will portray his characters, calling Cretton "the one and only" director for the project.
- Lionsgate first announced the live-action Naruto movie in February 2024, and the manga has printed over 250 million copies across more than 60 countries and territories.
- Arad Productions—with Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Emmy Yu, and Jeremy Latcham—are producing alongside Cretton and Jeyun Munford through Cretton's company Hisako.
- The studio previously attempted to launch a Naruto film in 2014 when it signed Michael Gracey to direct, a prior effort that ultimately did not move forward.
Why it matters: This is the first time Kishimoto's 250-million-copy franchise is being adapted as a live-action feature, and Cretton—fresh off Marvel's *Shang-Chi*—now anchors the project after a failed Lionsgate attempt a decade ago. The global casting call signals the studio is committing serious resources to finding leads who can carry a worldwide fanbase, not just a domestic one.
