Back in November 2023, a live-action Naruto movie was confirmed to be in the works. Now, Lionsgate has attached a director to the project and it’s none other than Destin Daniel Cretton, who co-wrote and directed the Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cretton will also produce alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako. The duo join Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Emmy Yu of Arad Productions, who are also behind the upcoming video game adaptation Borderlands.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto is an iconic manga and anime series known worldwide featuring the ninja protagonist named Uzumaki Naruto. Cretton has received Kishimoto’s blessing for the Naruto movie.

In a statement, Kishimoto said:

“When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for Naruto. 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 Naturo. In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process.”

Previously, a screenwriter named Tasha Huo was said to be working on the script for the Naruto movie.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said:

“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. Avi and I have had the pleasure of working together before and I know that as we collaborate with Destin and the team on Naruto, we are in extraordinary hands.”

Besides Shang-Chi, Cretton also directed several episodes of American Born Chinese, Disney+’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang that featured martial arts.