The long dreaded Naruto live-action movie helmed by an American studio is officially in the works and it is now getting early negative buzz from the fans of the popular manga/anime.
Last year, Variety reported that Michael Gracey, a former visual effects specialist who has just recently moved into directing, has been tapped by Lionsgate to direct the ambitious project. Many are casting doubts that a relatively new director may not be able to deliver a satisfying Naruto live-action film.
As one of the best-selling manga and one of the biggest anime hits in the world, Naruto is a global treasure no fan would like to get bastardized.
Back in 2009, “Dragonball Z”, the beloved Manga/Anime title that failed to deliver as a Hollywood film, ending up being one of the most disappointing films ever made with its terrible casting and a story that largely deviated from the source material. A year later, “The Last Airbender”, a live-action version of the American animated hit “Avatar”, would replicate the failure.
While it is reassuring to note that the man who created the beloved franchise, Masashi Kishimoto, has been signed up to help out with the production, netizens are still worried that the material will be ruined by Hollywood.
Kishimoto’s involvement with the Naruto live-action film was announced last week during this year’s Jump Festa expo.
Reactions on Twitter and Reddit range from expressions of utter disgust to unabashed mockery of the project:
