Destin Daniel Cretton Details Live-Action Naruto Film at NYCC

During the October 10 New York Comic Con panel at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Viz Media and Studio Pierrot dropped major franchise announcements for Naruto. The updates included a crossover anime series titled NARUTOxNINKŪ, a brand-new manga by Masashi Kishimoto called Shadow Rising, and direct production insights from Destin Daniel Cretton.

The Bottom Line

• Masashi Kishimoto is releasing a new manga titled Shadow Rising, with further details arriving at Jump Festa 2027 in December.
• A new crossover anime series, NARUTOxNINKŪ, pairs Team 7 with the manga character Fūsuke under the supervision of both Kishimoto and NINKŪ creator Koji Kiriyama.
• Destin Daniel Cretton shared production updates for the upcoming live-action Naruto film during the Javits Center panel.

New York Comic Con Panel Unveils Franchise Expansion

The announcements arrived during a panel featuring Japanese voice cast members Takeuchi Junko (Naruto Uzumaki) and Sugiyama Noriaki (Sasuke Uchiha). They appeared alongside Studio Pierrot executive producer Tominaga Yoshihiko and a Bandai representative. The panel delivered by unveiling both the NARUTOxNINKŪ crossover project and Kishimoto’s upcoming manga.

The newly announced Shadow Rising manga was teased in a brief video at the very conclusion of the presentation. The teaser indicated that additional information regarding the manga will be released during Jump Festa 2027 this coming December. This follows a publishing run that saw Kishimoto’s original 700-chapter manga serialize in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2014, moving more than 250 million collected volumes across over 60 countries and regions.

Team 7 Enters a Strange New World in Crossover Anime

The upcoming animated television project takes the franchise in an unexpected direction by crossing over with Koji Kiriyama’s manga NINKŪ. Both Kishimoto and Kiriyama are supervising the production. The narrative premise places Team 7 members Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura on a mission assigned by Kakashi. Because Kakashi cannot participate directly, Naruto takes the role of acting leader.

Things quickly derail when the trio gets lost in an alternate dimension while traveling to their destination. In this strange new world, they encounter a boy with a frog-like face named Fūsuke. Fans watching the panel got a first look at the promotional teaser video for the project.

Destin Daniel Cretton Details Live-Action Film Approach

While the animation side expands with crossovers and new manga, the live-action feature film adaptation continues to move forward under Destin Daniel Cretton. Organizers shared a written statement from the director during the convention panel to update fans on the ongoing adaptation process.

“When we kicked off our worldwide search for Team 7 this summer, I talked about what an honor it is to bring Kishimoto-sensei’s incredible world and characters to life. The further we get into making this film, the more excited I am about what we’re creating,” Cretton wrote.

Cretton emphasized his focus on capturing Naruto’s core personality traits—his persistence, his tendency to be underestimated, and his resilient heart. He noted that the creative team is approaching the relationships and journeys established by Kishimoto with extreme care as production continues.

Project / Media	Key Creators / Figures	Release Timing / Window
NARUTOxNINKŪ Anime	Masashi Kishimoto, Koji Kiriyama	Announced Oct 10
Shadow Rising Manga	Masashi Kishimoto	Teased for Jump Festa 2027 (Dec)
Live-Action Film	Destin Daniel Cretton	In Production (Casting started Summer)

Unanswered Questions Regarding Release Dates and Distribution

Despite the reveals at the Javits Center, significant details remain unconfirmed. Neither Viz Media nor Studio Pierrot has provided a definitive broadcast premiere window for the NARUTOxNINKŪ series, nor has a specific publication date been attached to the early rollout of Shadow Rising beyond the upcoming December event.

Similarly, while the search for the live-action Team 7 commenced over the summer, production timelines and theatrical release targets for Cretton’s film have not been made public.