Charles Melton in Talks for Naruto Movie as Kakashi

Actor Charles Melton is closing in on a major franchise role. Variety reported that the Emmy nominee is in close talks to join the upcoming live-action feature adaptation of the iconic manga series. Sources cited by The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Melton is attached to play Kakashi Hatake, the elite ninja mentor to the story’s young heroes. Kakashi is one of the most popular characters in the long-running and massively popular manga.

The news comes amid speculation that Melton would be announced to join the “X-Men” cast at last week’s D23 convention. Lionsgate had no comment on the casting, and Variety reached out to Lionsgate for comment. Recent rumors, possibly scurrilous, linked him to the new MCU X-Men movie, but they ultimately proved untrue.

The project brings together high-profile creative forces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and acclaimed indie cinema. Destin Daniel Cretton is set to direct the adaptation for Lionsgate, coming off the box-office success of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has grossed over $800 million domestically, becoming the fastest film to ever hit the milestone, and reached $2 billion at the global box office, making it one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. The filmmaker’s previous credits include Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which released in 2021, and the indie drama “Short Term 12,” which released in 2013 and starred Brie Larson, LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek and Kaitlyn Dever. After directing The Glass Castle and “Just Mercy,” he made the leap to big-budget studio films.

Global Casting Search and Production Timeline for Team 7

While negotiations for Melton are reaching their final stages, the wider search for the core cast continues. The global “Naruto” casting search began last month to find the live-action versions of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Lionsgate launched a worldwide casting initiative to find young actors to portray the main trio of Team 7. Production is eyeing a start date around February 2027, according to sources.

The source material follows adolescent ninja Naruto Uzumaki, who dreams of becoming his community’s protector and leader known as the village ninja, but also happens to have the spirit of a nine-tailed demon fox inside him. Created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha, the original manga was serialized in Japan’s popular Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014, collected in 72 volumes. The series printed more than 250 million copies, making it (according to one study) one of the most popular properties in the world. It later spawned a couple of popular animated series that ran for years on Cartoon Network and Disney XD, several animated features, and a robust product line of almost every conceivable piece of merchandise.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton Brings Manga Legacy to the Big Screen

The cinematic adaptation represents a major new franchise effort for Lionsgate. Back in 2014, there was an attempt to get a “Naruto” movie off the ground with Michael Gracey attached as director. The current iteration is produced by Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu for Arad Productions alongside Jeremy Latcham, while Cretton is producing alongside Jeyun Munford through his company, Hisako.

“Kishimoto-sensei’s stories have inspired generations of fans around the world, and it’s an honor to bring his world and characters to the big screen in live action for the very first time. I’m thrilled to kick off this worldwide casting search for our Team 7 and to bring the incredible universe of NARUTO to life!”

Destin Daniel Cretton, Director

Speculation surrounding Melton’s next career move had previously linked him to rumors regarding an upcoming project, though those reports did not materialize. Instead, Collider notes that the actor is headed to The Village Hidden in the Leaves in the Land of Fire — believe it!

Prestige Career Momentum Leads to Blockbuster Territory

Melton enters the production following a strong run in both television and film. He was recently Emmy-nominated for his role in Netflix’s “Beef” Season 2 alongside Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Cailee Spaeny. That television recognition follows his critical acclaim for his work in Todd Haynes’ “May December,” which released in 2023, where he starred opposite Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.

The actor is a longtime fan of anime and manga and is also extremely proficient in martial arts. He is a second degree black belt taekwondo and competed in the Junior Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. His filmography also includes starring in Alex Garland’s “Warfare,” Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell, and breaking out as a star on the long-running CW series “Riverdale” where he played Reggie Mantle.