Summary
Almost a decade ago, entertainment company Lionsgate announced that aNarutolive-action movie adaptation was in the works. In a new update, the writer of the adaptation was announced, Tasha Huo, who has previously worked onRed Sonjaand theTomb Raideranimated series.
What is important to note here is that this is the first update on the live-action project in almost ten years. So what do we know about the live-action up to this point?
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Narutofollows the titular Naruto and his friends as he embarks on a journey to become aHokagefor his village. This legendary anime has over 200 episodes and is adored by anime fans, forming one-third of the colloquial “Big Three” trifecta of classic Shonen anime. The success of the anime led to another anime adaptation;Naruto ShippudenandBoruto, alongside anime movies, a game, and OVAs.
In 2015,Masashi Kishimoto’s beloved manga was announced to receive the live-action treatment like many anime before it. The production will be rooted in Lionsgate, the company that produced the likes of the theJohn Wickfilm series,Hunger Gamesfilm series, Oscar-winningLa La Land,and more blockbuster hits. It was confirmed that Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) will direct the project in 2016. Kishimoto is also reported to be a part of the movie’s production.
It was announced in an article byVarietymagazine that the screenwriter of the pendingNarutolive-action movie will be Tasha Huo. Huo’s previous projects as a writer includeThe Witcher: Blood Origin(2022),Red Sonja,and the animated seriesTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft(the latter two are currently in post-production and are set to premiere in 2024).
In theVarietyarticle titled “10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2023”, Huo states that adapting material that is so beloved is a “fan’s dream come true”. On adapting something treasured by an enormous community likeNaruto, Huo says “Adapting iconic characters or IP makes the writing of it easier, because the passion for writing it is already there.”. She continues to say that she’s “so inspired by these characters already that it’s exciting to just take a part of their journey and try to tell that fun story in a way that would appeal to me as a fan.”. The writer cites Baz Luhrmann, J.J. Abrams, andMike Flanaganas her artistic influences.
