Over eight years after its first announcement, the Naruto Live Action movie has entered the beginning stages of its development. The script for the movie based on Masashi Kishimoto’s original manga will be written by Tasha Huo. While Kishimoto’s part in the live-action remains a mystery, it seems Lionsgate will follow in Netflix’s footsteps.
The success of One Piece Live-Action has resurged the interest in anime live-action genre. Written by Matt Owens and Steve Maeda, the two showrunners implemented multiple changes in the script when requested by One Piece mangaka and co-producer of the live-action, Eiichiro Oda. Similar to OPLA, the success of the Naruto adaptation also depends on the faithfulness to the source.
Naruto Live Action Confirmed: 5 Stars That Can Play The Titular Role
In 2015, Lionsgate announced that a Western-style Naruto Live Action movie was in the works. Michael Gracey was appointed as the director of the project but it never got to the screens. Gracey mentioned that he was working on the script with Masashi Kishimoto but adapting a hit manga spanning over 600 chapters in a single movie was a difficult task.
Fast-forward to 2023, rumors began to circulate about Tasha Huo being selected for scripting the Naruto Live Action. The news was confirmed by a report by Variety that stated “Next up for the writer is “Naruto,” a feature adaptation of the iconic anime for Lionsgate.” Huo is also working on the adaptation of the comic Red Sonja and is the showrunner of the Tomb Raider animated series on Netflix and Legendary.
Playing the role of an anime character in a live-action is a task in itself. The actor has to nail Naruto Uzumaki’s personality while naturally portraying the Hokage’s calm yet fearsome nature. Here are five actors who can play the titular protagonist in Naruto Live Action.
#1. Jacob Hopkins
The voice behind Code in Boruto: Next Generations, Jacob Hopkins understands the fan demands and anticipation for a Naruto Live Action. He is a huge fan of the franchise and can channel his enthusiasm to playing the character of Naruto Uzumaki. Despite being off the screen for years, Hopkins has voiced several characters, including Gumball and Axel Finke, and has vast knowledge about the animation industry.
#2. Dylan Sprouse
Having cosplayed the 7th Hokage and Trunks, Dylan Sprouse is yet another character who has publicly revealed his love for Naruto. In fact, he was believed to be best suited for the role of Naruto Uzumaki when news about a live-action movie began circulating in 2015. Best known for his role as Zack Martin in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Dylan has been away from the limelight since his main role as Travis Scott in Beautiful Disaster.
#3. Kodai Matsuoka
Japan has had many Naruto Live Spectacles over the years. Actor Kodai Matsuoka has over two years of experience playing the character in a drama theatre and also starred in the 2017 Live Spectacle Naruto: Song of the Akatsuki. Matsuoka is a perfect fit for Naruto Live Action because he has the experience as well as the acrobatic training to portray the character’s ninjutsu.
#4. Masaki Nakao
Masaki Nakao took over the role of Naruto Uzumaki from Kodai Matsuoka for the 2021 Live Spectacle. The stage production was a hit in Japan while Nakao was able to cope with the “physically and mentally demanding” movement as revealed during an interview. Nakao has since been on the rise in the Japanese movie industry so the talented actor could be selected for a Hollywood breakthrough with Naruto Live Action, similar to Mackenyu from Netflix’s One Piece.
#5. Tom Holland
Tom Holland is a fan-favorite option for the role of Naruto Uzumaki in the upcoming live-action. Taking his stellar roles as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Nathan Drake in Uncharted: The Movie as examples, Holland has been able to pull off multiple action-based characters, He can bring the same intensity and passion as the real-life 7th Hokage.
