A recent update on the Naruto movie has me hopeful that the upcoming live-action adaptation will get my favorite anime right. A live-action Naruto movie is currently in the works at Lionsgate, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton helming the film. Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto is involved in the project as a producer and has previously shared his excitement over what Cretton is doing. While Hollywood’s history with anime adaptations is complicated, the reception to Netflix’s One Piece has proven that the Naruto movie can work.

Adapting Naruto as a movie instead of a TV show is a risky choice considering the length of the manga. That said, given the scale of Naruto’s world, a series of big-budget movies may be the best way to bring Kishimoto’s story to live-action after all. If successful, Naruto could become a massive movie franchise in which audiences would be able to grow with the characters. As a huge Naruto fan, I’ve always imagined what a live-action film made with care and respect to the source material would look like, and Cretton’s movie appears to be it.

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The Naruto Movie Seeks To Capture How “Nuanced & Special” The Manga Is

Destin Daniel Cretton’s Vision For Naruto Sounds Promising

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, screenwriter Tasha Huo, who wrote the Naruto movie’s first draft, revealed that director Destin Daniel Cretton will capture how “nuanced and special” the manga is. Huo noticed that, whereas someone who is not a fan of Naruto would likely be distracted by how big that world is, Cretton will be able to portray what truly makes Masashi Kishimoto’s manga special. While not much can be inferred from these comments, I’m excited to see what Cretton’s take on Naruto will be. Despite its rich world, Naruto is a character-focused story first and foremost.

Naruto, especially Part 1, is about the struggles faced by its titular character rather than the Shinobi world itself. The series does have a very convoluted lore and power level system from the start, but it’s only during Shippuden that the scale of the story really expands. As the first entry in what could be a multi-movie franchise, it would make a lot of sense for the first live-action Naruto film not to dive too deep into the lore. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi are already fascinating characters who could carry a live-action movie.

Also to EW following the announcement of the Naruto film, Kishimoto mentioned having enjoyed Cretton’s previous films. The mangaka pointed out how the filmmaker’s forte is in creating “solid dramas,” which is essential for a Naruto adaptation given how character-driven the story is.

After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for [Naruto].

The Naruto Movie Focusing On Naruto Uzumaki Over The Shinobi World Makes Sense

Naruto Is About Its Titular Character Regardless Of How Big The World Is

It’s unclear which arcs the Naruto movie will cover, but I assume it will be the Land of Waves arc. Team 7’s mission to protect Tazuna is our first introduction to that world, and even though its stakes weren’t that high in hindsight, it remains a fan-favorite Naruto arc decades later. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are still inexperienced Genin during the first arc, with their set of skills being far from the god-like abilities they would showcase during Shippuden. Naruto’s first arc has no giant monsters or armies – it’s an introspective story primarily about Zabuza and Haku.

Compared to the Chunnin Exams, the search for Tsunade, or the Sasuke retrieval mission, Naruto’s Land of Waves arc is a much smaller story that would not require a superhero movie type of budget. It does include some great fights, particularly at the end, but none of them are that big compared to later events. Naruto’s first few episodes got me hooked not because of the worldbuilding or the scale of the battles but rather because they made me care about Naruto Uzumaki and the rest of Team 7. Even the villains felt human and relatable.

The Naruto Movie Still Can’t Forget How Rich Kishimoto’s World Is

Naruto Has Great Worldbuilding And Fun Action Throughout

While the first Naruto movie should indeed be as character-driven as possible, the live-action franchise should not forget how rich the world Kishimoto created is. Naruto’s worldbuilding is a very important part of the story even before all the Shippuden retcons, meaning it should be incorporated as soon as possible in the live-action franchise. I would love to see a couple of flashbacks set before Naruto’s birth in live-action, perhaps even teasing characters and twists that will only come into play much later. I also hope the Naruto movie lives up to the anime in terms of action sequences.

Most of the fights in Naruto’s Land of Waves are either Taijutsu-based or involve very simple Ninjutsu techniques, which gives the first movie an advantage over potential sequels. Still, if the first film works and performs well at the box office, I’ll be incredibly excited to see things like Naruto summoning Gama Bunta or Gaara turning into Shukaku in live-action. Naruto’s world has enormous potential, but whether all those elements will ever make it to live-action probably depends on how the first film will do. Hopefully, Cretton’s upcoming Naruto movie will be the first of many.

Source: Entertainment Weekly