Hollywood has been trying its damnedest to make aNarutomovie for years now. Though fans have been assured that recent progress has been solid under the creative direction ofShang-Chidirector Destin Daniel Cretton, there is still trepidation about how the live-action version will turn out.
According to one creative voice who’s worked withNaruto, though, the path forward for any movie set in the franchise’s universe is obvious.
In an interview at San Diego Comic Con,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Narutowriter Caleb Goellner spoke about the crossover’s setting. Set before the dramatic events ofNaruto’sSasuke retrieval arc, but afterNarutoreturned from the Search For Tsunade arc, the comic was able to feature the original Team 7 without much in the way of continuity problems.
According to Goellner, this is the perfect time to set aNarutomovie.
That decision was likely driven byNaruto’sanniversary and where new fans might best jump in. We wanted something familiar to Turtles fans, discoveringNarutoand something nostalgic forNarutofans. It felt like the right moment—classic Team 7, pre-Sasuke departure. We treated it like aNarutomovie.
The Perfect Time For a Naruto Movie Is Before The Sasuke Retrieval Arc
This Would Be The Best Jumping On Point
Though only oneNarutomovie is actually set in this time frame, the firstNaruto The Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, Goellner does have a solid point for it being an ideal time frame to set a side story fitting for a movie.
As popular asNaruto: Shippudenis, its status quo is constantly shifting, meaning fans would have to know a good deal about the series' plot to understand what’s going on, especially in regard to character relations and abilities.
In contrast, the pre-Sasuke Retrieval arc point inNaruto’stimeline is much simpler to understand for casual viewers. Knowing the basic premise ofNarutowould be enough to grasp what’s going on and why. In addition to that benefit,Naruto and Sasuke have also developed a few powerful jutsuthat could spice up fights.
ThoughtheNarutomovies were mostly set after Sasuke’s departure, many of the filler arcs, even inShippuden,used the nebulous timeframe before then as an excuse to feature new stories with Sasuke as a part of the classic Team 7.
Naruto’s Live-Action Movie Will Almost Certainly Be an Origin Movie
General Unfamiliarity With Naruto Will Hold The Live-Action Movie Back
Goellner’s point is absolutely solid and makes sense for any story trying to appeal to people who have a passing familiarity withNaruto’sworld and characters. Unfortunately, though, it’s safe to say that Hollywood’s ambitions extend well beyond people already knowledgeable about the franchise.
In all likelihood,Naruto’slive-action film will be an origin story, possibly reaching the series' Land of Waves arc. How much plot will fit into one movie isn’t clear. As unfortunate as it is forNarutofans, though, this might ultimately be for the best. Only time will tell whetherNaruto’sbig movie will succeed or something best left forgotten.
