Naruto Live-Action Film Stalled: Writer Cites Director’s Packed MCU Schedule

What’s the latest on the live-action Naruto film? Since the announcement of its director and the completion of its screenplay, there has been a noticeable silence. The screenplay’s author, Tasha Huo, known for her role as showrunner on The Mighty Nein, seems to be in the dark as much as everyone else, eagerly awaiting further developments.

In a recent discussion with ScreenRant, Huo admitted she had “no new updates” to share about the film’s progression and expressed her desire to provide more information. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic and, like many fans, is excited to see the final product.

Huo, currently the showrunner for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, pointed to the packed Marvel schedule of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton as a primary factor for the delay, with no further details on the project’s status.

In 2024, Huo finished her latest draft of the script just as The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey stepped down, paving the way for Cretton’s involvement.

Cretton is currently engaged with several projects, including a Shang-Chi sequel, co-creating and executive producing the upcoming Disney+ series Wonder Man, and directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, slated for release in July 2026.

As per the last updates, the live-action Naruto movie aims to tell a “nuanced and special” story focusing on the adventures of the Hidden Leaf Village’s enthusiastic yellow-haired ninja in training. With the script in Cretton’s hands, Huo expressed her confidence in his ability to deliver a “very personal and relatable” film.

Huo believes that Cretton will adeptly navigate Naruto’s narrative in a way that steers clear of the franchise’s expansive universe.

“I think that’s such a cool choice because he’s going to be able to capture how nuanced and special Naruto is without getting distracted by the big world that it is, which I think could easily be done by someone who’s not a fan or someone who’s coming in for a cash payday,” she commented. “This is definitely a movie that comes at it from a love of who Naruto is and that character and his relationships.”

Naruto began as a manga series by Masashi Kishimoto in 1999 and quickly grew in popularity. It has since been adapted into an anime series, followed by sequel series such as Naruto: Shippuden and Boruto, and inspired several video games, including the Ultimate Ninja Storm series.

As one of the “Big Three” in anime, the expectations for a film adaptation of Naruto were immense from the get-go. Kishimoto has endorsed the choice of Cretton to bring Naruto to the big screen, expressing his approval after viewing one of Cretton’s blockbuster films.

“Upon hearing of Destin’s involvement, just after watching one of his action-packed movies, I believed he was the ideal director for Naruto,” Kishimoto remarked. “After enjoying his other works and realizing his expertise in crafting deep, character-driven stories, I was convinced he was the only choice. Meeting Destin confirmed he was open to collaboration, and I am confident in our cooperative approach to making this film. Essentially, the live-action Naruto is set to be a spectacle of action and rich drama, and I am truly excited about it.”