Lionsgate has greenlit Destin Daniel Cretton’s live-action feature adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, with Sony Pictures co-financing the film and taking international distribution after a multi-studio bidding war, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and TheWrap reported on 3 November 2026. Lionsgate will continue to oversee development and production and handle North American distribution. Production is scheduled to begin in spring 2027. Cretton will write, direct and produce.
Key facts
- Deal: Lionsgate greenlight; Sony Pictures co-finances and distributes internationally; Lionsgate leads production and North America
- Filmmaker: Destin Daniel Cretton (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) writes, directs and produces via Hisako with Jeyun Munford
- Timing: cameras spring 2027; no theatrical date disclosed
- Franchise: Kishimoto manga sold more than 250 million copies in 60-plus territories; anime reached 145-plus countries (company figures via trades)
- Producers: Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Emmy Yu (Arad Productions); Lionsgate oversight Erin Westerman and James Myers
For studio finance and international sales teams, the structure splits a Japanese-origin manga brand between Lionsgate’s domestic machine and Sony’s offshore network, with Sony also owning Crunchyroll. The trades frame the deal as the close of a competitive auction rather than a soft development extension.
The partnership and statements
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson called Sony “a perfect partner for Naruto” and cited its manga and anime expertise and global distribution, according to THR. Sony Motion Picture Group chair and CEO Tom Rothman said Lionsgate had assembled an “A-level adaptation” and that Sony was “delighted to be back” with Cretton after Brand New Day. Cretton, in the same statements, said he wanted to keep what fans love about the property while opening it to a new generation.
Cretton signed a three-year first-look producing deal with Sony in September 2026, the trades note, after directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which THR puts at about $2.5 billion worldwide. That existing relationship, plus Sony’s Tokyo headquarters and Crunchyroll ownership, is the commercial logic the coverage gives for Sony winning the international package.
Cast, producers and what is not known
THR reports that Charles Melton is in talks to play Kakashi Hatake and that the search for an actor to play Naruto Uzumaki is underway. Those casting lines are attributed trade reporting, not a studio cast confirmation. Budget, rating target, shoot locations and a release year beyond the spring 2027 start have not been disclosed.
Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Emmy Yu produce for Arad Productions alongside Cretton and Munford. Kishimoto’s involvement is described in Deadline as close but without a formal credit line in the published statements. Manga unit sales and anime territory counts above are the companies’ franchise claims as relayed by the trades; they are not audited box-office or licensing receipts for the live-action film.
Related FilmBunch coverage of Sony’s theatrical run and studio money includes Sony Pictures’ September-quarter jump on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Pixar’s Jonathan Garson appointment and Jailer 2’s Prime Video window. More under Deals.
Our reading
The deal is a rights-and-finance split on a proven IP: Lionsgate keeps the production brief and North America; Sony pays in and takes the rest of the world, aligning Cretton’s post-Brand New Day first-look with a Japan-rooted catalogue. Buyers should treat Melton as talks only, wait for a locked cast and a date, and read the 250 million / 145-territory figures as franchise marketing context. The next evidence is a start-of-production notice, a lead cast confirm and whether Crunchyroll is used for awareness rather than day-and-date streaming.
Sources
- The Hollywood Reporter exclusive (3 November 2026; Sony co-finance and international; Lionsgate greenlight; spring 2027; Fogelson and Cretton statements; Melton talks; producers)
- Deadline (3 November 2026; Sony international rights and co-finance; Lionsgate domestic; franchise sales figures)
- TheWrap (3 November 2026; bidding war; Rothman/Sony; Cretton first-look context)