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Sony joins the Naruto movie as Bandai prepares its card game launch
Naruto’s live-action adaptation has a new international partner and is targeting spring 2027 for the start of production. With NARUTO CARD GAME due in June, the timing puts Team 7 back in the conversation as Bandai brings the franchise to new tables.
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July’s casting call invited fans to imagine who might play Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. November brought a different milestone. Sony Pictures is joining Lionsgate to co-finance the live-action adaptation of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga and lead its international distribution. Reported on November 3, the agreement gives the film a route to cinemas beyond the United States just as the franchise is preparing another way for fans to get involved.
What Sony brings to the live-action Naruto movie
Lionsgate continues to oversee development and production and will handle US distribution. Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton will write, direct and produce. According to the studio announcement reported by TheWrap, production is expected to start in spring 2027. The movie has yet to receive a public theatrical release date. Reporting on the Sony–Lionsgate agreement.
The official Naruto site announced a global search for the three young members of Team 7 in July. It made the project tangible for longtime readers and gave audiences a question to follow as development progressed. The casting call established which roles the search covered. The names of the actors who will play them are still to be announced. Official Team 7 casting announcement.
The movie and the cards already shared a stage
At New York Comic Con in October, the NARUTO: What’s Next? panel included a message from Cretton as well as news about Bandai’s card game. The panel also presented the PROJECT RASENGAN roadmap for manga, anime and games. Fans who drifted away from the franchise now have several reasons to return. Someone who discovers Naruto through the film could eventually find a second entry point across a game table. Official New York Comic Con recap.
When NARUTO CARD GAME launches and where to begin
Bandai is planning a worldwide launch in June 2027. The announced lineup includes starter decks for Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara and Booster Pack 01 · Enter: Naruto Uzumaki! A ready-to-play deck gives newcomers a practical starting point, while collectors have a first set whose card reveals they can follow. Bandai has announced that lineup separately from the film. Bandai’s launch and product announcement.
The groundwork is already visible. At Gen Con, players handled physical cards in guided sessions and saw samples in the booth. For spring 2027, Bandai has announced a worldwide campaign with a distribution target of one million demo decks. As details emerge, the most relevant ones for players will be where the decks can be found and what it takes to join a session. Inside Bandai’s demo deck campaign.
The opportunity starts after the first match
A casting announcement or the first footage could get people talking about Naruto long before the movie opens. Some of those fans will look for other ways to spend time in the world they remember. A nearby tutorial, someone to explain the rules and a starter deck to take into a second match are concrete ways to meet that curiosity. The demo campaign is Bandai’s clearest announced step in that direction.
What happens next will be measured at the table. Screen attention might persuade someone to try one game. Finding a starter deck, learning how to play and having opponents nearby are reasons to come back. Film production and the TCG launch have separate schedules, and their proximity creates an opening for visibility ahead of the card game’s first summer.
To see how that looks in practice, read about the demos planned in Spain, explore the product chronology or try our fan-made simulator. Manga Barcelona tutorials · Card and product timeline · NarutoMarket online demo.
