Rashmika Mandanna reveals how ‘Naruto’ sparked her love for anime at 12
Rashmika Mandanna shares her journey into anime, recalling how "Naruto" captured her heart at age 12 and led her to explore over 40 series.
Lionsgate is asking the world to help cast its live-action ‘Naruto’ film. The studio has opened a worldwide search to find the actors who will play the series’ central trio, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The hunt is focused on the show’s core team first. The casting search will fill the roles of Team 7, made up of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, with additional casting for supporting roles to follow later. The project is based on one of the best-selling manga series in the world. The film is an adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga and is backed by Lionsgate.
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Who is directing?
The film has a filmmaker with proven blockbuster experience behind the camera. Destin Daniel Cretton, the director behind Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” and the upcoming “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” is writing and directing the project.
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Cretton spoke about the significance of bringing the story to a new format. He said Kishimoto’s work has inspired fans across generations, and called it an honor to bring the characters to the big screen in live action for the first time. He also expressed excitement about starting the global search for the actors who will play Team 7.
Kishimoto’s reaction
The manga’s creator shared his own excitement about the project reaching this stage. Kishimoto said miracles keep happening to him, one after another, reflecting on how far the adaptation has come.
What the story follows
The manga has built a massive global readership over the years. The series has printed more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and territories. Its story centers on young ninja chasing lofty goal. Story follows adolescent ninja Naruto Uzumaki, who dreams of becoming his community’s protector and leader known as village ninja.
A long road to this point
Lionsgate has been trying to get a “Naruto” film made for over a decade. The studio first announced the live-action project in February 2024. That was not the first attempt, though. Lionsgate had previously tried to develop a “Naruto” movie back in 2014, when it signed Michael Gracey to direct. That earlier version never moved forward, and the project sat dormant for years before Cretton came aboard.
No confirmed actors yet
As of now, nobody has been cast in the film. Reports and fan speculation have circulated for years about who might play the iconic characters, including names tied to Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and supporting figures like Shikamaru and Iruka. The studio has confirmed none of that speculation.
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