Naruto Gets Crossover Anime With Ninku Franchise

Key Points:

• A new limited crossover anime series titled NARUTO×NINKŪ was announced at New York Comic Con, combining Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto with Koji Kiriyama's Ninku manga, which inspired Naruto's creation.
• The original story, supervised by both Kishimoto and Kiriyama, follows Naruto as acting captain of Team 7 when he, Sasuke, and Sakura accidentally enter the world of Ninku.
• Noriyuki Abe, director of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and the original Ninku anime, is directing the crossover, with Tetsuya Nishio handling character design and chief animation direction.
• Studio Pierrot is streaming the first five episodes of the original Ninku anime for free on YouTube ahead of the crossover's release, while the Naruto anime's previously announced 2023 episodes remain delayed with no new updates.
• Separately, Lionsgate is producing a live-action Hollywood adaptation of Naruto, with Charles Melton in final talks to play Kakashi and Destin Daniel Cretton directing and producing the film.