Lionsgate Greenlights Live-Action Naruto Feature Film
Sony Pictures co-finances the project and takes international distribution, with Destin Daniel Cretton writing and directing.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Animation
Lionsgate has greenlit a live-action Naruto feature film, with Sony Pictures as co-financier and international distributor following a competitive multi-studio bidding process. Lionsgate will handle domestic distribution, and production is slated to begin in spring 2027.
Why it matters
The project brings one of the world's best-selling manga franchises to live-action film, with a director whose previous release grossed $2.5 billion. The deal also reflects a studio partnership structure splitting financing and distribution across territories.
The director's previous film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, grossed $2.5 billion, and the Naruto manga has sold more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and territories. The lead casting for Naruto remains unresolved, with only Charles Melton confirmed and reportedly playing Kakashi Hatake.
The players
Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a major international film and television studio that will handle domestic distribution of the Naruto film.
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures is the film division of Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony, co-financing the project and taking international distribution.
Destin Daniel Cretton
Destin Daniel Cretton is an American filmmaker who wrote and directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day and will write, direct, and produce the Naruto film.
The details
Lionsgate greenlit the film following multi-studio bidding, and Sony Pictures will co-finance it and take international distribution. Destin Daniel Cretton will write, direct, and produce, having signed a three-year first-look producing deal with Sony in September.
Timeline
Naruto manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014.
Cretton signed a three-year first-look deal with Sony in September 2026.
The Lionsgate-Sony partnership was announced on November 3, 2026.
Production on the Naruto film is slated to begin in spring 2027.
Industry Dynamics
The Naruto project follows Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which grossed $2.5 billion, and reflects studios competing for established franchise adaptations. The split between Lionsgate's domestic and Sony's international distribution mirrors the co-financing structures increasingly used for large-scale franchise films.
The film's distribution is split, with Lionsgate handling domestic releases and Sony handling international distribution, which will determine where audiences can see it. No release date has been announced, and production is not slated to begin until spring 2027.
The takeaway
Franchise adaptations increasingly rely on split financing and distribution deals, as Lionsgate and Sony's arrangement for Naruto illustrates. Readers following the project can track casting and production milestones as they are announced.
What happens next
Production on the live-action Naruto film is slated to begin in spring 2027, and the search for the actor to play Naruto is ongoing.
Further reading
Explore more Animation coverage for context on how anime and manga properties are adapted for film.
