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Charles Melton is an American actor who has built his profile through roles in Netflix's "Beef" and the film "May December", earning an Emmy nomination along the way. He is reportedly close to being cast as Kakashi Hatake, a well-known character from the "Naruto" manga and anime, in a live-action film adaptation. The project is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for recent Marvel work, and producers include Avi Arad, a veteran of comic-book and anime film adaptations.

"Naruto" is a hugely popular Japanese manga and anime series about a young ninja trying to earn recognition and eventually lead his village. A live-action Hollywood version has been talked about for more than ten years, with an earlier attempt in 2014 falling through before Cretton's team picked it up. Casting for the three central characters, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, only began last month, so Melton's potential role would be one of the first major pieces to fall into place.

The story matters because adapting a beloved anime for a mainstream Western audience is a high-risk, high-reward undertaking, with past attempts at similar adaptations meeting mixed reactions from fans. Melton's involvement would also be notable given his rising profile and reported interest from other major franchises.