Lionsgate and director Destin Daniel Cretton have announced a worldwide casting search for the lead roles in their forthcoming live-action Naruto film, based on Masashi Kishimoto's hugely popular manga franchise. The search, revealed via social media on Thursday, will focus initially on Team 7's three young shinobi — Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura — with casting for other characters to follow. The move marks a significant step for a long-anticipated Hollywood adaptation of one of the best-known names in anime and manga.

Cretton described the project as an honour, saying he was thrilled to bring Kishimoto's world to the big screen in live action for the first time. Kishimoto himself gave an effusive statement, calling the adaptation a series of "miracles" and expressing excitement at the director's involvement and the actors the search might uncover. The film is currently heading into pre-production, with no release date yet confirmed; Cretton's next project, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, opens on 31 July.