Until November 2023, Cretton was set to direct “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” Apparently, leaving that project hasn’t dulled his desire to work in the blockbuster space. (He got started writing/directing smaller films, like the drama “Short Term 12.”). The press release notes he is still set to direct a “Shang-Chi” sequel as well.
Kishimoto, at least, gave his endorsement in the aforementioned press release:
“When I heard of Destin’s attachment, it happened to be right after watching a blockbuster action film of his, and I thought he would be the perfect director for ‘Naruto.’ After enjoying his other films and understanding that his forte is in creating solid dramas about people, I became convinced that there is no other director for ‘Naruto.’ In actually meeting Destin, I also found him to be an open-minded director who was willing to embrace my input, and felt strongly that we would be able to cooperate together in the production process. To put it simply, the live-action ‘Naruto’ is bound to be a film with spectacular action and profound drama. I can’t help but be excited for it.”
If “Shang-Chi” was about family, “Naruto” is about friendship. Naruto trains to become a ninja alongside his rival Sasuke Uchiha, the brooding counterpart to Naruto’s excitable silliness. Like Naruto, Sasuke is an orphan — his goal is to kill his older brother, Itachi, who killed the rest of their family but spared Sasuke, seemingly daring him to seek revenge. Naruto’s journey is about his own growth and pulling Sasuke onto the right path.
No production date is set yet for “Naruto,” nor is there any word about casting. Cretton is also producing the project alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako. Ari Arad and Emmy Yu will produce “Naruto” as well for Arad Productions alongside Jeremy Latcham.