Live-Action Naruto Movie's Filming Start Window Revealed

Published Aug 7, 2026, 6:18 PM EDT Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant. Jennifer loves TV, especially science fiction. She also loves late-night talk shows, due to her insomnia. Alien: Earth is definitely one of her favorite shows, and she jumps on any chance she gets to write about it. Even on her days off, she will claim an Alien Earth article if one is available. Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are two of her favorite late-night hosts, and Conan O'Brien before he left his show. Her Alien: Earth coverage for ScreenRant is by far the work that she is most proud of so far. She was initially a finance and political editor, but her passion for pop culture convinced her to transition into entertainment journalism. During her off time, she loves to binge-watch cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares. Jennifer also loves spending time with her daughter and cherishes every moment of it. Sign in to your ScreenRant account This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.The upcoming live-action Naruto film receives a major production update. Lionsgate’s highly anticipated Naruto movie appears to be taking another major step toward finally reaching theaters. After spending years in development hell, the project is now reportedly heading to development sooner than expected. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Naruto's very first live-action adaptation on the big screen will begin filming during the first half of 2027. The upcoming Lionsgate movie will be helmed by Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director, Destin Daniel Cretton. Along with directing, Cretton is also writing the movie, which will adapt the incredibly successful franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Lionsgate officially announced Cretton’s involvement in February 2024, although the studio had been developing the project for several years before he came aboard. The production update follows another major announcement for the adaptation. In July 2026, a worldwide casting search was launched to find actors to portray Team 7. The studio was holding auditions for the roles of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Cretton also confirmed the news on social media. Kishimoto has publicly supported Cretton’s involvement with the adaptation. When the director was announced, the creator praised his ability to create character-driven stories and balance them with other important elements. He also stated that he was excited to see which actors would be chosen to embody his beloved characters. Created in 1999, Naruto follows the titular young ninja who grows up with the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of him. He is determined to earn the respect of his hometown and eventually become the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village. The manga ultimately ran for 72 volumes and became one of the highest-earning manga franchises in the world. The first Naruto anime show aired in 2002 and ran until 2007. A sequel series titled Naruto: Shippuden was released shortly after the original concluded. The second chapter followed the titular character as a teenager and had an impressive ten-year run, with its final episode released in 2017. More to come...