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Sony Partners With Lionsgate on Destin Daniel Cretton’s ‘Naruto’ Movie (Exclusive)
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Sony Pictures has partnered with Lionsgate on the live-action Naruto film, agreeing to co-finance it and handle international distribution. The deal follows competitive bidding by several studios and brings Sony into a project Lionsgate has now officially greenlit.
Lionsgate will oversee development and production and distribute the film domestically. Destin Daniel Cretton is writing, directing and producing, with filming planned to begin in spring 2027. The manga has sold more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and territories, while its anime has reached audiences in more than 145. Charles Melton is attached to play Kakashi Hatake, and casting for Naruto is under way.
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In short
- Sony will co-finance and distribute Naruto internationally.
- Lionsgate has greenlit the live-action adaptation.
- Production is planned to start in spring 2027.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Lionsgate has greenlit a live-action film based on Masashi Kishimoto’s *Naruto*, partnering with Sony Pictures after a competitive bidding process. Sony will co-finance the film and distribute it internationally, while Lionsgate oversees development and production and handles domestic distribution.
- 1 hour ago Sony Pictures has partnered with Lionsgate on the live-action Naruto film, agreeing to co-finance it and handle international distribution. The deal follows competitive bidding by several studios and brings Sony into a project Lionsgate has now officially greenlit.
Full account
Lionsgate has greenlit a live-action film based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga Naruto, with Sony Pictures joining as a co-financier and taking responsibility for distribution outside the United States. Lionsgate will continue to oversee development and production and distribute the film domestically. The arrangement follows a competitive process involving several studios, according to one of the reports.
Destin Daniel Cretton is attached to write, direct and produce the adaptation. Filming is planned to begin in spring 2027, though the second report gives only the season. Cretton’s recent work with Sony on Spider-Man: Brand New Day is cited by both outlets as context for the partnership. One report also notes that he signed a three-year first-look producing deal with Sony in September.
Naruto follows Naruto Uzumaki, an aspiring ninja leader who carries the spirit of a nine-tailed fox within him. The manga ran in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014 and developed into a major international franchise. Both reports put manga sales at more than 250 million copies across over 60 countries and territories. One also says the anime has reached audiences in more than 145 countries and territories.
The reports describe Sony’s anime expertise and international reach as part of the fit: Sony owns Crunchyroll, while Lionsgate will retain domestic distribution and production oversight. Lionsgate executive Adam Fogelson praised the partnership and the film’s development team; Sony chairman Tom Rothman said Lionsgate had assembled a strong adaptation and welcomed working with Cretton again. The second report names producers from Arad Productions and Hisako, and says Kishimoto is closely involved; those details do not appear in the first account.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report specifies that production is expected to start in spring 2027; the second says only that filming will begin in spring.
The first focuses on the bidding process, Sony’s relationship with Cretton and executives’ comments. The second gives more detail on named producers and reports that Kishimoto is closely involved.
The first describes Naruto’s animated series and its original television outlets, while the second gives the anime’s reported reach across more than 145 countries and territories.
The accounts give differing box-office descriptions of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The first calls it a $2.5 billion success; the second describes it as the top domestic-grossing film at $958.8 million and the third-highest-grossing film worldwide at $2.5 billion. These figures are presented as the reports’ claims.
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