Lionsgate Partners With Sony, Destin Daniel Cretton
The Hollywood Reporter • • general
Key Points:
- Lionsgate has partnered with Sony Pictures to co-finance and distribute the international release of the live-action Naruto film, following competitive multi-studio bidding.
- Destin Daniel Cretton, fresh off the success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is writing, directing, and producing the adaptation, with production set to begin in spring 2027.
- Sony's expertise in manga and anime, along with its ownership of Crunchyroll, makes it a strategic partner for the project, which aims to honor the original manga's global fanbase while attracting new viewers.
- Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, is a highly successful franchise with over 250 million manga copies sold worldwide and an anime reaching more than 145 countries, making it a major cultural phenomenon.
- Charles Melton is confirmed to star as Kakashi Hatake, with casting ongoing for Naruto himself; Lionsgate executives Erin Westerman and James Myers are overseeing the film's development.
