Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton has teamed up with Lionsgate Motion Picture Group to write and direct a live-action film adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s popular Japanese manga series Naruto, the entertainment company’s chairperson Adam Fogelson announced on Friday.

Created by Kishimoto, Naruto has been adapted into two anime series, several movies, video games and spin-offs. It follows the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young boy who dreams of becoming the strongest ninja and the leader of his Konoha village. The manga has sold over 250 million copies in more than 60 countries.

“It was a true honour to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation,” Cretton said in a statement. “We are very excited to collaborate and bring Naruto to the big screen,” he added.

Sharing how he realised that Cretton is the “perfect director” for the adaptation after watching a blockbuster action film by him, Kishimoto said, “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.”

After meeting Cretton in person, Kishimoto understood how “open-minded” he is as a director and willing to “embrace” the original material to collaborate with the manga writer on the live-action adaptation. “To put it simply, the live-action Naruto is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can’t help but be excited for it,” the 49-year-old manga writer said.

Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu will be producing the live-action with Jeremy Latcham under the banner of Arad Productions. Cretton is also backing the film alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako.

“This manga classic is beloved by millions of fans all around the world, and Destin has delivered a vision for the movie that we believe will excite that massive fan base as well as those who are new to it,” Fogelson stated.

Cretton is known for directing films like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and The Glass Castle (2017). He is set to direct a Shang-Chi sequel, which is slated to release in 2026. He also recently produced the Disney+ series American Born Chinese.

Lionsgate had previously signed The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey to helm the film back in 2015.