Lionsgate's live-action Naruto film is officially searching for its leads. The franchise announced a global casting call for the roles of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura—the core members of Team 7—with additional character casting to follow later.

Destin Daniel Cretton, known for directing Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is directing and producing the film through his company Hisako alongside Jeyun Munford. The production team also includes Avi Arad and his son Ari Arad from Arad Productions, along with Emmy Yu and Jeremy Latcham as producers.

Original creator Masashi Kishimoto shared his excitement about the project in a statement: "Right now, miracles are happening to me, one after another. My work, Naruto, is truly, truly becoming a Hollywood movie! And an even greater miracle is that the film will be directed by the one and only Destin Daniel Cretton." He expressed eagerness to see the characters come to life with "extraordinary and passionate actors."

The screenplay is being handled by Tasha Huo, who previously worked on Red Sonji and the Tomb Raider animated series. Lionsgate secured the rights to adapt Kishimoto's manga back in 2015, though the project has evolved considerably since then. The studio was initially in talks with Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) to direct, with Jon and Erich Hoeber (Red, Red 2) brought in to rewrite the script in 2017.

Kishimoto's original manga ran from 1999 to 2014 in Weekly Shonen Jump and became a global phenomenon, spawning numerous anime series, films, and spin-offs including Boruto. The franchise remains one of anime's most recognizable properties worldwide.

The live-action adaptation represents another major franchise making the leap from anime to Hollywood, building on the industry's recent push to bring beloved series to mainstream audiences. Interested actors can apply through official Naruto franchise channels for consideration.