The live-action Naruto movie is officially moving forward, as director Destin Daniel Cretton and Lionsgate is ramping up pre-production by looking for the most-iconic ninja trio from the original manga and anime. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are going to be cast, as Cretton launches a global search for young actors to play the budding ninjas.
As per Naruto's official site, to mark the beginning of the casting search, Cretton said: "Kishimoto's stories have inspired generations of fans around the world. It is an honor to bring that world and its characters to the big screen for the first time in live-action . I am thrilled to be able to bring the amazing world of Naruto to life by starting this global casting search to find the members of Team 7!"
Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto, also made a statement on Naruto's live-action movie progressing further in pre-production. "Right now, miracles are happening one after another for me. My work, Naruto is actually going to be made into a Hollywood movie! And another miracle is that Destin Daniel Cretton will be directing the film, I still can't believe it! With so many miracles piling up, let's hope for even more. I'm looking forward to the miraculous encounter with the passionate and wonderful actors! I can't wait to meet the characters in the movie!"
There's no release date or release window on the Naruto live-action movie as yet, as it seems Cretton and co. will be taking their time to find the right cast of characters. Casting the other actors for the live-action Naruto series will be done in batches, but first it's all about the main trio.