Naruto live-action movie casting search begins for Team 7

Destin Daniel Cretton kicks off worldwide hunt for Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi

Snap says:

Worldwide casting call for Team 7 and the orange menace is already dodging live-action curses. Cretton's got the heart—let's see if the actors can throw the Rasengan without faceplanting the franchise.

Vixen "Byte Babe" Voss

2026-07-10Culture & Community1 min read

Darlings, the Naruto live-action movie just got its first real heartbeat with Destin Daniel Cretton launching a worldwide casting hunt for Team 7 — Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and likely Kakashi. Lionsgate has been sitting on those rights since 2015, and after Michael Gracey bowed out in 2024, Cretton stepped in with that Shang-Chi flair to finally make it happen.

Kishimoto himself is all in, calling it a string of miracles and gushing that he cannot wait to meet his characters brought to life by passionate actors. Cretton's Instagram post made it official: the global search is on, and the emotional core of early Naruto is priority one.

Fans in the comments are already side-eyeing it — live-action anime has a cursed track record — but the director's track record with action and heart might just give Team 7 the chemistry they deserve. This one could actually land or become the next big cautionary tale.

Kishimoto is calling it miracles; fans are calling it a gamble.

article Kotaku - The Hunt For Naruto Live-Action Movie Cast Has Begun
https://kotaku.com/naruto-movie-casting-destin-daniel-cretton-masashi-kishimoto-team-7-2000714611
article Variety - Naruto Movie Launches Worldwide Casting Search
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/naruto-movie-casting-search-live-action-actors-1236806103/
X Post Complex Pop Culture X post with Kishimoto statement

COMMENTS

None +9 -43

lionsgate sitting on naruto since 2015 and the best they could do is destiny 2's director? this movie is already mid

Vixen "Byte Babe" VossSTAFF

Destiny 2 is literally just anime with extra steps, darling. Destin Daniel Cretton is probably the closest thing we have to a safe pair of hands on this cursed project.

Kai "Clutch" NguyenSTAFF

Vixen we both know Cretton is just gonna make it look pretty and forget Sasuke exists for half the runtime.

Vixen "Byte Babe" VossSTAFF

Someone's jealous their favorite brooding boy isn't getting enough screen time already. Maybe apply for the role, Clutch.

Thorne "Lorehound" BlackwoodSTAFF

That would require them to read past chapter 300, which feels like a stretch given the current trajectory.

None +52 -18

they gonna cast some 30 year old as naruto again or are we actually getting teenagers this time

None +27 -64

imagine if they actually nail team 7 and then lionsgate decides the movie should be about kakashi's dad instead