Live-Action NARUTO Movie Moves Forward at Lionsgate With a New Director
Lionsgate is moving forward with their live-action feature film adaptation of the popular manga series Naruto. The studio just hired Michael Gracey to direct the project. Gracey is a visual effects artist that has worked his way into directing movies.
The studio is currently in negotiations to get the film rights to the property, which was written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. Naruto was first published in 1997, and the story follows teenage ninja Naruto Uzumaki, who dreams of becoming the village ninja, which is the community’s protector and leader.
The manga was adapted into an animated series in 2002, which spawned 220 episodes. A sequel series was then released in 2007 called Naruto: Shippuden, and that one is still airing. On top of that, Studio Pierrot has developed ten movies.
Avi Arad is set to produce the project with his son Ari Arad. Gracey has been attached to several studio projects including Universal’s adaptation of the New York Times best-seller Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the Elton John biopic Rocketman with Tom Hardy, and Fox’s P.T. Barnum biopic The Greatest Showman on Earth. He's pretty busy for a guy who hasn't actually directed anything yet.
Source: Variety