Pop culture enthusiasts know well that live-action adaptations of renowned mangas have a poor track record. Be it 2009’s Dragonball Evolution, 2017’s Death Note, or Fullmetal Alchemist, manga live-action adaptations often tend to go terribly wrong. Now, with Naruto‘s adaptation being developed, the fans are apprehensive that we may be heading towards another disastrous attempt to recreate an iconic IP in live-action.
Naruto‘s live-action recreation has been in development for a long time. After several delays, the project finally found its stability in the hands of director Destin Daniel Cretton. However, some new statements by the film’s writer, Tasha Huo, have raised massive concerns regarding the project among the fans.
Tasha Huo’s statements raise doubts about the new Naruto live-action movie
Naruto, written by Masashi Kishimoto, is hailed as one of the biggest manga series. It also garnered widespread appreciation when it was adapted into an anime series. Nevertheless, the news about the live-action adaptation did not get the same hype as the fans can’t understand how a 700-chapter manga can be adapted into a film.
As if the idea of a live-action film adaptation of Naruto is not concerning enough for the fandom, the original script is written by Tasha Huo. While Huo is set to be the showrunner of the upcoming Lara Croft animated series on Netflix, she is highly infamous for writing The Witcher: Blood Origin.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Tasha Huo stated that her original “script is done” and the new writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton “is now doing his stuff” to the script. Although the latter’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings did a commendable job, fans have high doubts regarding Naruto, especially after Huo discussed Cretton’s approach to the project.
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. This is definitely a movie that comes at it from a love of who Naruto is and that character and his relationships.
Many fans believe that world-building is one of the most significant aspects of Naruto and Tasha Huo’s weird confession raises extreme concerns. It cannot be denied that the recent success of Netflix’s One Piece live-action series may have also motivated the makers but still, many manga fans believe we may get another Dragonball Evolution-esque experience.
The fans believe we are heading towards a major disaster with Naruto
Dragonball Evolution, based on the late Akira Toriyama’s timeless creation Dragon Ball, is often considered one of the most monumental disasters. It left an indelible black mark on anime-to-movie adaptations. Recently, an insider report by Cosmicbook News claimed that the Naruto live-action adaptation can make us relive those painful moments as the makers working on the project do not anything about the source material.
Pop culture fans know that the sole motivation to earn money without respecting any iconic IP is an easy recipe for disaster. Let us take a look at some of the fan reactions:
Really worried about this one
— Sanou (@Gonzalezz153) August 21, 2024
Just so everyone knows, the writer was a staff writer for Witcher Blood Origin show. And is very inexperienced. Don't keep high hopes. pic.twitter.com/SkYxKVdxQf
— CRIM💮 (@CrimsonKSD) August 21, 2024
The only way to properly celebrate Narutos character is by understanding that he is different from the world around him and that is what brings about change. Without that it just doesn't feel like Naruto
— Shrockarai (@DownRollins) August 21, 2024
The whole first arc is worldbuilding bruh we are so cooked
— Shrockarai (@DownRollins) August 21, 2024
Some things don’t need a live action 😔 we are cooked
— who (@unrivalledcode) August 22, 2024
The fans would have still considered a live-action series but as of now, there are some serious doubts with the film. Even though Masashi Kishimoto gave his blessings to Destin Daniel Cretton and asserted that he is a perfect choice, it will be interesting to see if the film can do justice to our beloved yellow spiky-haired ramen-loving warrior.
Naruto‘s live-action version does not have a release date yet.
