Lionsgate launches global casting search for live‑action Naruto film

Lionsgate announced a worldwide casting call for the upcoming live‑action adaptation of the Naruto manga and anime. The studio, working with director Destin Daniel Cretton, is seeking actors aged 16‑20 of Asian or mixed‑Asian heritage who can speak English fluently to portray Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. The search is open to talent worldwide, and the selected cast will film in the United Kingdom from January to August of next year. No specific actors have been named yet, but the initiative has generated strong interest among fans of the franchise.

The casting notice also specifies physical traits for the roles: Naruto and Sasuke should be thin, athletic young men, while Sakura should be an athletic woman with a strong, elegant presence. The project aims to age the original teenage characters into older adolescents or young adults, departing from the source material’s depiction of 12‑year‑olds.