The live-action Naruto movie is gathering momentum, it seems, as Shang-Chi director Destiny Daniel Cretton has come on board to direct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cretton is making the movie for Lionsgate, which is also behind the forthcoming Borderlands film.

Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto signed off to have Cretton direct after the two spent time together in Tokyo. “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 Naturo,” Kishimoto said.

Kishimoto added: “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.”

The Naruto film has been in the works for many years already, but as is often the case in Hollywood, the production stalled. It’s now back on the table, but as always, there is no guarantee it’ll actually be made.

Naruto tells the story of Uzumaki Naruto, a young boy that is shunned by the people of his village because he is the vessel for the legendary nine-tailed demon fox that terrorized the world years ago.

Naruto has already been a hugely successful series. As a manga, it has remained one of the most popular since it was serialized in 1999 and often appeared in the top three rankings alongside One Piece and Bleach. It has also spawned numerous animated movies, video games, and other merchandise.

It’s still early days for the Naruto film, and there is no word yet as to a cast or release date.

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