NARUTO Live-Action Movie Story Details Point to a Fan-Favorite Manga Arc
The live-action Naruto movie may be sending Team 7 straight into one of the manga and anime’s earliest major adventures.
A newly revealed plot synopsis offers the first real idea of what Lionsgate’s adaptation could cover, and it sounds very familiar to anyone who remembers Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno’s first big mission together.
The film is being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who also directed Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the new synopsis comes from Knight Edge Media.
According to the report, the Naruto live-action movie is described like this: “The Naruto story unfolds in a breathtaking alternate universe, where every child dreams of becoming a ninja. We follow Naruto Uzumaki, an exceptionally gifted but challenging new recruit, as he’s assigned to his first mission alongside reluctant teammates Sasuke and Sakura.
“The mission turns into something far more dangerous and sinister than anticipated, and Naruto is forced to confront his inner demons – including the literal demon that’s revealed to be the root of his own power.”
The description doesn’t reveal exactly what mission Naruto and his teammates are taking on, but it could be the Land of Waves storyline from Masashi Kishimoto’s original manga.
That arc follows Team 7 after Naruto gets fed up with minor assignments like chasing runaway cats and demands something more substantial. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, gives the young ninjas a C-rank mission escorting bridge builder Tazuna back to the Land of Waves.
Of course, things go sideways with the group is attacked by the Demon Brothers after leaving the village, and although Kakashi Hatake handles the threat, Tazuna eventually admits the mission is far more dangerous than advertised. What was supposed to be a relatively manageable assignment is actually closer to an A-rank mission.
Team 7 presses forward anyway, bringing them into conflict with Zabuza Momochi and Haku. The story also becomes an important early chapter in Naruto’s relationship with the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him. When Sasuke sacrifices himself to protect Naruto, Naruto’s rage causes the fox’s power to begin breaking through.
If the movie really is adapting the Land of Waves material, it makes plenty of sense for a first Naruto film. The story gets Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi out of the village, throws them into danger, introduces some great villains, and gives audiences an early taste of the frightening power Naruto carries inside him.
There could still be some changes from the manga and anime, particularly when it comes to the ages of the characters.
It was previously reported that a casting call seeking actors over 18 to portray 16-year-old versions of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. More recently, another casting call reportedly sought actors between 13 and 15 years old for Naruto and Sakura.
No official casting has been announced, so it remains unclear exactly how old Cretton’s versions of Team 7 will be or how closely the movie will follow Kishimoto’s original timeline.
Still, this rumored synopsis gives us a much better idea of what the live-action Naruto movie might look like. Starting with Team 7’s first dangerous mission would give the film a straightforward entry point while introducing the friendships, rivalries, ninja action, and Nine-Tailed Fox mythology that drive Naruto’s larger story.