Destin Daniel Cretton has recently become a powerhouse director and one of the most popular figures within the MCU. He has had a hand in the incredible “Shang-Chi,” Wonder-Man” and the upcoming “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Seemingly all of Cretton’s recent projects have performed incredibly well, which provided the director with an illustrious reputation.
Based on this reputation, Cretton was tasked with leading the live-action “Naruto” project. He has slowly been revealing aspects about the film, including that casting hasn’t concluded. However, Cretton recently revealed one aspect of the film which has fans incredibly excited. The incredible director recently revealed to Rolling Stone that his Naruto film will heavily focus on Naruto’s emotional journey.
The Live-Action Film Will Cover Naruto’s Emotional Journey
“Naruto” is among the most popular anime franchises in recent history. The anime features incredible action, but also devastatingly engaging emotional scenes. Naruto begins his journey with virtually no allies and had to slowly work for every single friend he obtained. Cretton promises to highlight this unimaginable struggle within the live-action film. This means whoever the team ends up hiring for the lead roles will have to be equally athletic and engaging.
Casting may not have concluded for the announced project, but that hasn’t stopped Cretton from trying to generate hype around the film. At this point, it is clear that Cretton is looking for completely fresh faces to form his Hidden Leaf Village similar to the process for Netflix’s Live-Action “One Piece.” Masashi Kishimoto is also heavily involved within the “Naruto” movie just like Eiichiro Oda’s participation in Netflix’s various One Piece projects. This is an incredibly positive sign that bodes well for the in progress project.
Most live-action projects fail before they even begin. The live-action “Dragon Ball” movie is famously one of the worst entries within the genre. This has caused many fans to be somewhat wary of the “Naruto” film before it even starts filming. However, Cretton is one of the most talented action director’s of the modern generation, so the film will be a spectacle at the very least.
Cretton Could Be One of the First to Make a Successful Anime Film
With Cretton at the helm, Naruto has the potential to be one of the most popular live action films of all time. None of the previous attempts have been remotely successful and signal a significant gap within cinema. That said, if Cretton is actively collaborating with Kishimoto there’s almost no way the project can fail.
Getty“Naruto” is regularly considered one of the largest shonen to reach international popularity. The project already has a growing fanbase before the details have even been finalized. This provides incredible pressure, but could lead to great financial success if the movie lives up to fan’s expectations. That being said, fan expectations are consistently unrealistic. A lot has to be considered when bringing something as absurd as anime to the live-action world, but if anyone can walk the balance, it’s Cretton.
In the end, the “Naruto” live-action film is one of the most ambitious Hollywood projects to date. Lionsgate clearly has a lot on its plate when it comes to the film, but they have created an incredible creative team. Although the actors have yet to be confirmed or even chosen, the showrunners are ready to bring it their all.
