At Lionsgate, a live-action version of the well-known anime series “Naruto” by Hayato Date is apparently once again in the works. Avi Arad, a co-founder of Marvel Studios, joined Lionsgate to produce the movie through his own business at the time the project was first announced in 2015. The project’s director is Michael Gracey, who made his directorial debut with “The Greatest Showman.”
However, the lack of a strong screenplay appears to be the reason why the live-action film’s production was put on hold. We’re still revising the script, I suppose. Because it has happened before, I have no interest in killing a fantastic property until that script is at a level that I’m enthused about. Gracey previously spoke with Collider in 2018. “But I think the great thing is that everyone involved, from Lionsgate to the producers, are all of the same minds,” she said.
According to insiders, Tasha Huo rewrote the screenplay for Lionsgate and Arad, and the project is now back in the planning stages. Huo is a writer for future programmes such “Tomb Raider,” “Mighty Nein,” and the movie “Red Sonja.” The Witcher: Blood Origin, the precursor to “The Witcher,” was also co-written by him. Lionsgate hasn’t yet provided any details on the movie’s casting. We should anticipate that the film’s production will start after the WGA strike if Huo’s script persuades the producers and Gracey.
Masashi Kishimoto, the author of the anime’s self-titled source manga series, is likely to work on the project as a consultant, though there is no information yet regarding the technicians who will work on it. The original series’ creator, Kishimoto, is a genius, as you well know. Many Hollywood adaptations of hugely successful manga series fall flat, and if I was going to do Naruto, I wanted to work with Kishimoto and develop a script to the point where he would be enthusiastic about seeing it come to life. Because the person who created the world is the best person to understand it, Gracey explained Kishimoto’s role in the project to Collider.
Erik Feig, a former Lionsgate co-president, was associated with the production when it was first announced. ‘The Twilight Saga,’ ‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘Divergent,’ etc. are just a few of the book-to-film properties that Feig has worked on. Whether the producer will continue to work on the live-action adaptation has not yet been determined. ‘Naruto’ will join the ranks of live-action anime adaptations like ‘Death Note,’ ‘Alita: Battle Angel,’ ‘Blade Of The Immortal,’ etc. if it comes to fruition.
