Naruto Live-Action Movie Confimed
A Variety article about up-and-coming screenwriters has anime fans abuzz. The piece mentions various exciting projects in the works from the next great generation of writers. One such project is the long-gestating live-action adaptation of "Naruto."
The writer in question is Tasha Huo, who worked on "The Witcher: Blood Origin." Next up for the talented writer is "Red Sonja" and an animated "Tomb Raider" series, and she's delving more into passionate fandoms with an upcoming project being a live-action "Naruto" movie for Lionsgate. "Naruto" is an immensely popular manga and anime about a young ninja seeking to become the Hokage of his village with numerous epic fights along the way. There aren't additional details on the project, but Huo did mention what draws her to projects based on pre-existing intellectual properties. "I'm so inspired by these characters already that it's exciting to just take a part of their journey and try to tell that fun story in a way that would appeal to me as a fan."
A Naruto live-action movie has been in development for a while
Word of a live-action "Naruto" movie isn't exactly new. The Tracking Board first reported on the project back in 2015 with Michael Gracey directing. However, things have been quiet on that front for a while now. In 2018, Gracey provided an update to Collider, where he spoke about how a major hurdle was ensuring the script was just right, "Everyone knows how precious this property is and to me it's incredibly exciting, and I love the work that I've gotten to do on it to date. At this stage, no one is going to go into production until we've got a script that excites everyone."
Given the fact no live-action "Naruto" movie has materialized in that time, it's clear the screenplay wasn't up to snuff. Fans will be waiting eagerly to see if that changes now that Tasha Huo is working on the script, but regardless, it shows Lionsgate is still interested in adapting the property.
Hollywood doesn't always have the best track record when it comes to live-action adaptations of anime. There's been a changing of the tide in that regard as of late, with "One Piece" Season 1 on Netflix earning positive reviews, even attaining a Season 2 order. "Naruto" deserves a similar treatment, so keep your eyes peeled for more news on this project and whether Huo's script for it is the one that finally gets it into production.