Like it or not, after years of development woes, it looks like Hollywood is finally getting a live-action Naruto movie. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton is currently attached to the project, and while he may have the directorial chops needed to helm a gorgeous manga/anime adaptation, it’s understandable that we’re concerned about such a tricky transition regardless. Now, the film’s original creator is trying to calm fans down.
Entertainment Weekly recently spoke with Tasha Ho, the writer on Netflix’s upcoming animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, to try and get new information about Naruto, of course. To their surprise (and others), she actually spoke in detail about the process of making the film so far.
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While Cretton is now part of the Hollywood “big leagues” thanks to Shang-Chi’s decent success in 2021 – just as we begin to emerge from the worst of the pandemic – his background in original work is extensive, and he has found time to continue working on short films and TV series after his Marvel films found an audience. Huo praised this aspect of his career, saying that “his own writing and storytelling” is “very personal and resonant” for audiences, before revealing that the main idea behind the Naruto movie is to focus on the character and his experiences: “This is definitely a movie that was born out of a love for Naruto, the character and his relationship.”
Amidst all the flashy action and mythology, most MCU fans will agree that a big part of Shang-Chi’s appeal is the relationship between the title character and Xu Wenwu (aka the real Mandarin), who is at the heart of it all; a family drama that ties everything together, something the creative staff of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame really understood, and something that several other Marvel films have failed to capture.
“After watching his other films and learning that he excels at writing solid dramas about people, I came to believe that no other director could [Naruto]Ho added: “In meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to listen to my opinions and felt strongly that we could collaborate in the production process.” While Cretton, who is now also serving as the screenwriter for Naruto, may rework the script to his complete satisfaction before entering active pre-production, the fact that he fully accepted the opinions of his predecessor is encouraging news and something that is not often seen in a production of this complexity.
Still, there are plenty of issues with Lionsgate’s big anime adaptations. Netflix’s One Piece series was encouraging, but theatrical films are a different story, so let’s hope Cretton can navigate these difficulties more smoothly than he did with the now-canceled Avengers: Kang’s Dynasty (which wasn’t his fault).