Naruto live-action screenwriter explains the challenge of adapting the manga

The Naruto live-action is moving forward little by little. While casting for Team 7 is just getting started, screenwriter Tasha Huo is already working on the script and has shared what the biggest challenge is when adapting Masashi Kishimoto's manga to live action.

In an interview with Nexus Point News, Huo explained that the hardest part isn't choosing which parts of the story to tell, but making the work's universe function outside of the manga and anime. Techniques, aesthetics, and settings that we accept without issue in panels or animation can come across as unconvincing when real people perform them.

"For Naruto [the challenge] was grounding it. Making it feel real and believable in the world of a live-action movie. When you read it or watch it, it's crazy. It's great, but it's crazy," the screenwriter said. "There are rules you accept as they are because of the medium you're watching, but once you move it to real people saying lines that need to convey a real plot... So yes, that was the challenge, but also a joy, because it's a lot of fun."

A project with Kishimoto involved

The adaptation is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who is also behind the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Kishimoto is involved in the project and already expressed his confidence in the filmmaker when his involvement was announced.

The team's intention is to preserve both the spectacle of the fights and the emotional component of the story. The film will adapt the Land of Waves arc, one of the first major arcs in the manga, which gives a hint about the tone the production is going for.

On November 3, it was announced that Sony Pictures will join Lionsgate in producing and distributing the film. Regarding shooting, outlets like TheWrap point to a start in spring 2027, though there is still no confirmed release date.

Naruto, the protagonist of Masashi Kishimoto's manga, in a shot from the anime series.3djuegos.com