Last week, director Destin Daniel Cretton, in partnership with Lionsgate, officially announced that a global casting call had gone out for the Naruto live-action movie. The lead roles would be in Team 7, which includes Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. Many fans were wondering whether this live-action film would take place during the original Naruto timeline, when the team is only 12, or when they are much older, at 16, in Naruto: Shippuden.
We at Knight Edge Media have learned that the casting call will indeed be for when the group is 16, and that it is looking for 18+ adults to play the three heroes. As well as looking for an all Asian cast for the roles (updated with full character descriptions):
[NARUTO] – Male, 16-20 to play 16, Asian or Mixed-Race Asian. Lean, athletic physique. He is expressive and energetic, incredibly impulsive, talks too much, laughs at weird moments (and doesn’t care who hears him) but you’ll never meet anyone with a bigger heart. He has a strong sense of righteousness and a mouth that gets him in trouble. Underneath the attitude is a kid who’s felt out of place his whole life and the secrets of his past are a source of deep pain, but they drive Naruto to adapt and keep forging ahead to claim his place in the world. Experience in martial arts, dance, movement, gymnastics, or parkour is a plus. Must speak English fluently.
[SASUKE] – Male, 16-20 to play 16, Asian or Mixed-Race Asian. Lean, athletic physique, he is intelligent but distant and a star ninja. His competitive drive can make him come off like a jerk and his silence or bluntness makes him intimidating to others. The trauma of losing his family when he was young made him grow up faster than his peers. Experience in martial arts, dance, movement, gymnastics, or parkour is a plus. Must speak English fluently.
[SAKURA] – Female, 16-20 to play 16, Asian or Mixed-Race Asian. Athletic, toned physique. Strong-willed and ambitious, she carries herself with elegance and authority. Though often perceived as a privileged rich girl, she longs for the respect of those she cares about. Her sharp mind and attention to detail make her a natural leader, while her polished, high-achieving persona conceals deep insecurities. Experience in martial arts, dance, movement, gymnastics, or parkour is a plus. Must speak English fluently.
There are two possibilities with this casting that they really start right during Naruto: Shippuden, with flashbacks to when they were children. Or they are actually aging the characters up to 16, like in the Percy Jackson films, while still following an arc from the original Naruto timeline. Production is currently slated to begin in January 2027 and run through August 2027 in the United Kingdom.
Naruto has no set release date