We can make an endless list of Hollywood movies and series that adapted from anime and came out so-so, starting with Death Note and ending, of course, with Dragon Ball Evolution. However, One Piece turned out well, and Ghost in the Shell could have been much, much worse, so Hollywood got ambitious and decided that the next movie it makes based on a manga will be… Naruto. Yes, Naruto.
Naruto gets me all worked up
The director is hardly some complete nobody: Destin Daniel Cretton made Shang-Chi and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, so he seems totally prepared to bring the world of the Hidden Leaf Village ninjas to life. But of course, to do that, he needs actors, so he’s started a gigantic casting call to find the perfect Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The director has already said that “Kishimoto’s stories have inspired generations of fans around the world, and it’s an honor to bring this world and its characters to the big screen in live action for the first time“. The fans will be watching closely, though, and if they see anything they don’t like they won’t hesitate to get seriously angry with the studio, the project, and the director. However, he has an ace up his sleeve: the series’ own creator.
“Right now, one miracle after another is happening to me. My work, Naruto, is really being made into a Hollywood movie! And an even greater miracle is that it’ll be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton. I still can’t believe it!“. If Eiichiro Oda was involved in the production of One Piece, it only makes sense for Kishimoto to do the same with Naruto. Are we getting a movie that lives up to the hype, or will we all be regretting the decision to make it in a couple of years?