TheNarutomovie can learn a lot fromOne Piece, but there is one aspect of the Netflix show that the upcoming live-action adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga must achieve no matter what. Destin Daniel Cretton, who was recently announced as the director ofSpider-Man 4for Marvel Studios, is also attached to helm aNarutolive-action movie. It is unclear whatCretton directing Tom Holland’sSpider-Man 4means forNaruto, but the fact is thata live-action movie based on one of the best-selling manga of all time has a lot of potential.
BeforeOne Piece, the announcement of aNarutomovie from Hollywood would not have made me very excited. However, with the live-action version of Luffy’s first adventures proving that there can be great live-action anime adaptations that respect the source material, I believe that aNarutomovie can work. From the visuals to the story, there are many things that theNarutofilm must get right. However, the most important of them might be the cast, as proven byOne Piece.
The Naruto Movie Needs A Cast As Perfect As One Piece’s
One Piece’s Actors Perfectly Captured The Essence Of Their Characters
Netflix’sOne Piecehas proven that one of the most important steps in creating a great live-action anime adaptation is getting the cast right. As obvious as this may sound,plenty of live-action productions based on anime got the casting part completely wrong.FromDragonball EvolutiontoGhost in the Shell, Hollywood did not have the best of tracks when it came to casting for anime adaptations. This is not a criticism of the actors involved in those projects but rather of the choices made by those movies when translating iconic anime stories to other media.
There are 11Narutoanime movies, most of which aren’t canon to the manga.
Given how importantNarutois to millions of fans worldwide, the upcomingNarutomovie cannot afford to miscast its key characters. Names like Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi mean a lot to those who have read or watchedNarutoover the last 27 years, which makes the casting element even more important.One Piecedid a fantastic job in bringing not only Luffy and his crew but everyone else from East Blue to lifewith accurate, inspired casting choices. Thelive-actionOne Piececharactersfelt like Oda’s drawings brought to life, not to mention the actors' great performances.
One Piece Casting The Right Luffy Made Everything Easier
The Naruto Film Will Have To Find The Perfect Uzumaki Naruto
One Piececast the right actors for the right roles, but one particular choice deserves to be highlighted – Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy. Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Godoy had been in Netflix’sThe Imperfectsbefore being cast as the Straw Hat pirate in the streamer’s live-action version ofOne Piece. The actor captured the energy and the spirit of Luffy perfectly, which must not have been easy considering how unique of a characterOne Piece’s protagonist is to him. Shonen main characters have certain traits that don’t always work in other media, butGodoy’s Luffy is pitch-perfect.
Even thoughOne Piecehas countless characters and locations, the heart of the story is Monkey D. Luffy. The same can be said aboutNaruto, which should be even more obvious given the title of the manga. Uzumaki Naruto is one of the most popular anime characters of all time and is the heart and soul of the series. Described as a“hyperactive, knucklehead ninja,”Naruto has an unbreakable spirit and a beautiful heart.These are traits that must be captured in the live-action adaptation, to which both the casting and the writing choices are essential.
What Else The Naruto Movie Can Learn From One Piece
One Piece Wasn’t Afraid Of Embracing The Source Material
One of the things that separatedOne Piecefrom previousHollywood live-action anime adaptationswas how involved the creator of the source material was in the project.Eiichiro Oda was a producer in Netflix’sOne Pieceand was involved every step of the way. Naturally, the work of season 1’s showrunners Steven Maeda and Matt Owens, who kept the show as close as possible to the manga, must also be noted. Between honoring the source material in every decision and having Oda’s voice heard during the production,One Piecehas shown the receipt for a great adaptation.
One Piece Season 2: Renewal, Cast, Anime Story, Everything We Know
Netflix has confirmed One-Piece season 2 is happening, and here’s everything we know about the next chapter of Luffy’s live-action journey.
Hopefully, theNarutomovie will do something similar. Not only is Destin Daniel Cretton aNarutofan, but Masashi Kishimoto is involved in the project. Kishimoto has met Cretton (viaTHR), saying that he is the perfect director forNaruto. Kishimoto also said that Cretton was“willing to embrace [his] input,”and that they would“be able to cooperate together in the production process.“While not much is known about theNarutofilm, I’m excited to see what a live-action version of that world will look like after enjoying Netflix’sOne Pieceso much.
Naruto
Cast
Naruto is an action-adventure anime series based on the manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto. The titular Naruto Uzumaki is a fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit sealed inside him, which once wreaked havoc on his village. Shunned by his community yet determined to earn their respect, Naruto dreams of becoming the greatest ninja, the Hokage. This series follows his journey through the Ninja Academy as he continues to train and grow, hoping to prove himself to his peers- and himself.
One Piece
One Piece follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew as they embark on a daring quest for treasure. Released in 2023, the film brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
