Destin Daniel Cretton Reportedly Set to Finish MCU Projects Before Taking on Live-Action Adaptation of World’s Most Famous Animanga

The live-action Naruto movie is still happening, but fans might need to wait a bit longer to see it hit the big screen.

Lionsgate has officially teamed up with director Destin Daniel Cretton to write and direct the movie. Cretton is known for Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and has worked with Lionsgate before on “The Glass Castle.”

He’ll also be producing the movie through his company, Hisako, along with Jeyun Munford. The project is being developed under Lionsgate with James Myers and Jon Humphrey overseeing it.

This new Naruto film will be based on the original manga by Masashi Kishimoto, which has sold over 250 million copies worldwide. Kishimoto himself is involved and seems very happy with how things are going.

He praised Cretton, saying, “I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto… there is no other director for Naruto.” He added that Cretton was open to feedback and shared his vision, which gave him confidence in the project. “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,” Kishimoto said.

Cretton also shared his thoughts, saying, “It was a true honor to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation. We are very excited to collaborate and bring Naruto to the big screen.”

Adam Fogelson, the chair of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, said Cretton’s idea for the movie will please longtime fans and bring in new ones too. Producers Avi and Ari Arad also expressed their excitement, saying working with Kishimoto and the team at Shueisha has been a joy.

But even though the movie is moving forward, fans will have to be patient according to industry insider Daniel Richtma Cretton will wrap up his MCU work before taking on Naruto.

Cretton is still busy with other projects. He’s set to direct the sequel to “Shang-Chi” and is also working on “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” for Sony and Marvel Studios, which is set to release in July 2026. He recently signed on as executive producer for another movie, “In the Garden of Tulips,” based on a novel by Nora Sagal.

Until Cretton wraps up these projects, the Naruto movie won’t start filming. So while it’s officially in development, there’s no release date yet.

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